Patterning nano-scale patterns on a film comprising unzipping copolymers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9164376-B2
Application number	US-201213570922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2012
Priority date	Sep 30, 2010
Publication date	Oct 20, 2015
Grant date	Oct 20, 2015

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for patterning a surface of a material. A substrate having a polymer film thereon is provided. The polymer is a selectively reactive polymer (e.g., thermodynamically unstable): it is able to unzip upon suitable stimulation. A probe is used to create patterns on the film. During the patterning, the film is locally stimulated for unzipping polymer chains. Hence, a basic idea is to provide a stimulus to the polymeric material, which in turn spontaneously decomposes e.g., into volatile constituents. For example, the film is thermally stimulated in order to break a single bond in a polymer chain, which is sufficient to trigger the decomposition of the entire polymer chain.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of reading nano-scale dimensioned patterns in a polymer film of a material, comprising:
providing a material comprising a polymer film, the film comprising polymer chains which can be unzipped upon stimulation; and nano-scale dimensioned patterns in the film, wherein the polymer chains comprise copolymers of phthalaldehyde compounds and benzaldehyde compounds, and wherein the nano-scale dimensioned patterns are obtained according to a method comprising stimulating the film with a nano-scale dimensioned probe for selectively triggering an unzipping reaction of the polymer chains of the film to provide the nano-scale dimensioned patterns; and
reading the patterns.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer film provided comprises polymer chains for which an energetic or chemical modification event triggers the unzipping reaction and wherein patterning includes stimulating the film such that an energetic or chemical modification event occurs in at least one polymer chain.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer film provided comprises polymer chains which are able to unzip upon breaking one chemical bond thereof and wherein patterning includes stimulating the film to break one bond of at least one polymer chain.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein patterning includes having the probe provide an energy to the film to activate a chemical reaction involving a reactant in proximity with polymer chains, the chemical reaction allowing in turn for unzipping at least one polymer chain.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the reactant is an acid-generator.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the polymer film is provided with the acid-generator comprised therein, the acid-generator being activated during patterning.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the acid-generator is dispensed by the probe during patterning.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the acid-generator is a thermal-acid-generator, the thermal-acid-generator activated by the probe, heated during patterning.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the acid-generator is a photo-acid-generator, the photo-acid-generator activated by light during patterning.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said one of the monomers is a phthalaldehyde compound.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the benzaldehyde compounds in the polymer chains of the polymer film provided are functionalized benzaldehyde compounds.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the polymer chains of the polymer film provided globally derive from at least two compounds, one of the compounds being the dialdehyde compound,
and wherein at least some of the polymer chains of the polymer film provided comprise block copolymers of two or more homopolymer units, one of the homopolymer units deriving from the phthalaldehyde compound, whereby said at least some of the polymer chains are able to unzip upon stimulation.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said at least some of the polymer chains of the polymer film provided are ordered by way of another one of the homopolymer units, substantially more stable than said one of the homopolymer units upon stimulation.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the polymer chains in the polymer film provided have an average orientation with a non-zero component perpendicular to a plane of the polymer film.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the polymer chains in the polymer film provided are further ordered such that said at least some of the polymer chains that comprise block copolymers form a structured pattern in the plane of the polymer film.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the polymer chains in the polymer film provided are further ordered such that said at least some of the polymer chains that comprise block copolymers form a two-dimensional lattice in the plane of the polymer film.

17. The method of claim of claim 12 , wherein said one of the homopolymer units derives from a phthalaldehyde compound, whereas another one of the homopolymer units derives from a compound comprising a functional group capable of initiating a ring-closing polymerization of phthalaldehyde.

Assignees

• Coady Daniel J
• Duerig Urs T
• Frommer Jane E
• Fukushima Kazuki
• Hedrick James L
• Knoll Armin W
• Globalfoundries Inc

Inventors

• Coady Daniel J
• Duerig Urs T
• Frommer Jane E
• Fukushima Kazuki
• Hedrick James L
• Knoll Armin W

Classifications

• G03F7/0002 Primary

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

• Y10T428/24355

  Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.] · CPC title

• B32B3/00 Primary

  Layered products comprising a layer with external or internal discontinuities or unevennesses, or a layer of non-planar shape; Layered products comprising a layer having particular features of form · CPC title