Three dimensional block-copolymer films formed by electrohydrodynamic jet printing and self-assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016297986-A1
Application number	US-201415043048-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 14, 2014
Priority date	Aug 14, 2013
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided are methods of patterning block copolymer (BCP) films with independent control of the size, periodicity and morphology of the resulting nanoscale domains. Also disclosed are BCP patterns having discrete areas of different self-assembled BCP thin films on a surface, the BCP thin films differing in one or more of molecular weight (MW), composition, morphology, and feature size. In some implementations, multiple BCPs with different MWs can be printed onto a single substrate, thereby providing access to patterns with diverse geometries and feature sizes. The printing approaches can be applied to various BCP chemistries, morphologies and directed self-assembly (DSA) strategies. Also provided are methods of forming BCP thin films on patterns of polymer brushes formed by electrohydrodynamic printing. The methods involve direct, high resolution electrohydrodynamic delivery of random copolymer brushes as surface wetting layers to control the geometries of nanoscale domains in spin-cast and printed BCPs.

First claim

1 . A composition comprising:
a substrate; self-assembled domains of a first block copolymer (BCP) on a first region of the substrate; and self-assembled domains of a second BCP on a second region of the substrate, wherein the first and second BCPs differ in one or more of composition, molecular weight, and morphology.

2 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is topographically or chemically patterned.

3 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the self-assembled domains of the first BCP are oriented perpendicular to the substrate.

4 . The composition of claim 3 , wherein the self-assembled domains of the second BCP are oriented perpendicular to the substrate.

5 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the first BCP is a P(A-b-B) BCP with the substrate preferential to the A block of the P(A-b-B) BCP over the B block.

6 . The composition of claim 5 , wherein the second BCP is a P(A-b-B) BCP.

7 . The composition of claim 5 , wherein the second BCP is a P(C-b-D) BCP with the substrate preferential to the C block of the P(C-b-D) BCP over the D block.

8 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the first and second regions are separated by no more than 1 micrometer.

9 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the self-assembled domains of the first BCP differ in size from the second BCP by a factor of 1.2 or more.

10 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the self-assembled domains of the first BCP differ in size from the second BCP by a factor of 2 or more.

11 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the self-assembled domains of the first BCP differ in size from the second BCP by a factor of 10 or more.

12 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the self-assembled domains of the first BCP differ in size from the second BCP by a factor of 100 or more.

13 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the self-assembled domains of the first BCP form lamellae and the self-assembled domains of the second BCP form cylinders.

14 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the first and second BCPs are formed within a trench on the substrate.

15 . A composition comprising:
a substrate; and a thin film including self-assembled domains of a mixture of two or more block copolymers (BCPs) on the substrate, wherein one or more of the periodicity and morphology of the self-assembled domains vary continuously across the substrate.

16 . The composition of claim 15 , wherein the thin film forms a discrete region overlying the substrate.

17 . The composition of claim 15 , wherein the substrate is topographically or chemically patterned.

18 . The composition of claim 15 , wherein the self-assembled domains are oriented perpendicular to the substrate.

19 . The composition of claim 15 , wherein the BCP is a P(A-b-B) BCP with the substrate preferential to the A block of the P(A-b-B) BCP over the B block.

20 . A method, comprising:
providing a substrate; electrohydrodynamically printing an ink including a first block copolymer (BCP) on the substrate; and inducing self-assembly of the first BCP to form a thin film comprising nanoscale domains of the BCP.

21 - 29 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Onses Mustafa Serdar
• Orgers John A
• Ferreira Placid
• Alleyne Andrew
• Nealey Paul Franklin
• Univ Chicago
• The Board Of Trustees Of The Univ Of Illnois

Inventors

• Onses Mustafa Serdar
• Rogers John A
• Ferreira Placid
• Alleyne Andrew
• Nealey Paul Franklin

Classifications

• C09D153/00 Primary

  Coating compositions based on block copolymers containing at least one sequence of a polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Coating compositions based on derivatives of such polymers · CPC title

• B41J2/06

  by electric or magnetic field · CPC title

• B81C1/00031 Primary

  Regular or irregular arrays of nanoscale structures, e.g. etch mask layer (photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces G03F7/00; lithographic processes for making patterned surfaces using printing and stamping G03F7/0002) · CPC title

• B81C2201/0149

  Forming nanoscale microstructures using auto-arranging or self-assembling material · CPC title

• G03F7/0002

  Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping · CPC title