Methods of forming a nanostructured polymer material including block copolymer materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10153200-B2
Application number	US-201615090144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2016
Priority date	Mar 21, 2008
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

Methods for fabricating sub-lithographic, nanoscale microstructures utilizing self-assembling block copolymers, and films and devices formed from these methods are provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a nanostructured polymer material, comprising:
thermally annealing a block copolymer material in contact with a non-preferentially wetting material to cause polymer blocks of the block copolymer material to phase separate and form a self-assembled block copolymer material within a trench, the non-preferentially wetting material over the block copolymer material.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein thermally annealing a block copolymer material in contact with a non-preferentially wetting material comprises:
zone heating a first section of a block copolymer material to cause the first section to phase separate and self-assemble, and then subsequently heating remaining sections of the block copolymer material to cause the remaining sections to phase separate and self-assemble.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the non-preferentially wetting material to expose the self-assembled block copolymer material within the trench.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising applying a solvent to the non-preferentially wetting material to enhance removal.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein thermally annealing a block copolymer material in contact with a non-preferentially wetting material comprises thermally annealing the block copolymer material in contact with a non-preferentially wetting solid material.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein thermally annealing a block copolymer material in contact with a non-preferentially wetting material comprises thermally annealing the block copolymer material in contact with an elastomeric material.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein thermally annealing a block copolymer material in contact with a non-preferentially wetting material comprises thermally annealing the block copolymer material in contact with a poly(dimethylsiloxane) elastomer, a silicone, or a poly(urethane).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein thermally annealing a block copolymer material in contact with a non-preferentially wetting material comprises thermally annealing the block copolymer material in contact with a solid elastomeric material.

9. A method of forming a nanostructured material, comprising:
thermally annealing a block copolymer material in contact with a non-preferentially wetting solid material to cause polymer blocks of the block copolymer material to phase separate and form a self-assembled block copolymer material within a trench in a first material overlying a second material;
removing the non-preferentially wetting solid material to expose the self-assembled block copolymer material;
crosslinking a first block of the self-assembled block copolymer material;
removing a second block of the self-assembled block copolymer material to form openings extending through the self-assembled block copolymer material; and
removing at least a portion of the second material through the openings to form openings in the second material.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein thermally annealing a block copolymer material in contact with a non-preferentially wetting solid material to cause polymer blocks of the block copolymer material to phase separate and form a self-assembled block copolymer material comprises forming the self-assembled block copolymer material comprising cylindrical domains of a first polymer block in a matrix of a second polymer block.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein removing at least a portion of the second material through the openings comprises etching portions of the second material through the openings.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising forming a metal or metal alloy in the openings in the second material.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising removing the crosslinked first block of the self-assembled block copolymer material.

14. A method of forming a nanostructured polymer material, comprising:
applying a non-preferentially wetting material to a top surface of a block copolymer material, the block copolymer material within trenches in a first material on a second material; and
thermally annealing the block copolymer material to form a self-assembled block copolymer material within the trenches.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein applying a non-preferentially wetting material to a surface of a block copolymer material comprises applying the non-preferentially wetting material to the surface of a block copolymer material comprising cylindrical domains of a first block of the block copolymer material within a matrix of a second block of the block copolymer material.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein thermally annealing the block copolymer material to form a self-assembled block copolymer material within the trenches comprises forming the cylindrical domains perpendicular to a floor of the trenches and extending through a thickness of the self-assembled block copolymer material in a single array for the length of the trenches.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein applying a non-preferentially wetting material to a surface of a block copolymer material comprises applying a wetting material that is non-preferential to any block of the block copolymer material.

Assignees

• Micron Technology Inc

Inventors

• Millward Dan B
• Quick Timothy A

Classifications

• H10P76/4088

  Processes for improving the resolution of the masks · CPC title

• H10P76/4085

  characterised by the processes involved to create the masks · CPC title

• H10P50/287

  by chemical means · CPC title

• H10W20/089

  using processes for implementing desired shapes or dispositions of the openings, e.g. double patterning · CPC title

• H10W20/081

  by forming openings in the dielectric parts · CPC title