Preparing Arrays of Nanoscale Magnetic Dots to Be Used for Future Extremely High Density Recording (EHDR) Hard Drives Using Block Copolymer Thin Films and Spin-on Glass

Additional contributors: Marc Rodwogin; Marc Hillmeyer; Chris Leighton (faculty mentor).As the hard drive industry reaches a limit in storage density using conventional techniques, there becomes a need to create magnetically isolated nanodots that may allow for higher density recording. To do this, block copolymers have been proposed to be used as templates for fabricating large-scale arrays of these magnetic dots. When spin coated into a thin film, polystyrene-polyisoprene-polylactide (PS-PI-PLA) triblock terpolymer self assembles into a hexagonally packed lattice of cylindrical features perpendicular to the surface. After degrading the cylindrical component (PLA), we are left with an array of holes (antidots). The immediate goal of my research has been to use the described polymer film as a template for fabricating magnetic dots. Previous research has used this method to create 40 nm dots.This research was supported by the University of Minnesota's Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. Images were taken at the Institute of Technology Characterization Facility, which is supported by NNIN and NSF. Sample processing was carried out at the University of Minnesota Nanofabrication Center