Perpendicular Structure Formation of Block Copolymer Thin Films during Thermal Solvent Vapor Annealing: Solvent and Thickness Effects
Solvent vapor annealing of block copolymer (BCP) thin films can produce a range of interesting morphologies, especially when the perpendicular orientation of micro-domains with respect to the substrate plays a role. This, for instance, allows BCP thin films to serve as useful templates for nanolitho...
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doaj-34a73e0e36a7450abfa34056774dd4f72020-11-25T00:47:43ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602017-10-0191052510.3390/polym9100525polym9100525Perpendicular Structure Formation of Block Copolymer Thin Films during Thermal Solvent Vapor Annealing: Solvent and Thickness EffectsQiuyan Yang0Katja Loos1Macromolecular Chemistry & New Polymeric Materials, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The NetherlandsMacromolecular Chemistry & New Polymeric Materials, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The NetherlandsSolvent vapor annealing of block copolymer (BCP) thin films can produce a range of interesting morphologies, especially when the perpendicular orientation of micro-domains with respect to the substrate plays a role. This, for instance, allows BCP thin films to serve as useful templates for nanolithography and hybrid materials preparation. However, precise control of the arising morphologies is essential, but in most cases difficult to achieve. In this work, we investigated the solvent and thickness effects on the morphology of poly(styrene-b-2 vinyl pyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) thin films with a film thickness range from 0.4 L0 up to 0.8 L0. Ordered perpendicular structures were achieved. One of the main merits of our work is that the phase behavior of the ultra-high molecular weight BCP thin films, which hold a 100-nm sized domain distance, can be easily monitored via current available techniques, such as scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Systematic monitoring of the self-assembly behavior during solvent vapor annealing can thus provide an experimental guideline for the optimization of processing conditions of related BCP films systems.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/9/10/525block copolymersthin filmsannealingselectivitylamellar |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Qiuyan Yang Katja Loos |
spellingShingle |
Qiuyan Yang Katja Loos Perpendicular Structure Formation of Block Copolymer Thin Films during Thermal Solvent Vapor Annealing: Solvent and Thickness Effects Polymers block copolymers thin films annealing selectivity lamellar |
author_facet |
Qiuyan Yang Katja Loos |
author_sort |
Qiuyan Yang |
title |
Perpendicular Structure Formation of Block Copolymer Thin Films during Thermal Solvent Vapor Annealing: Solvent and Thickness Effects |
title_short |
Perpendicular Structure Formation of Block Copolymer Thin Films during Thermal Solvent Vapor Annealing: Solvent and Thickness Effects |
title_full |
Perpendicular Structure Formation of Block Copolymer Thin Films during Thermal Solvent Vapor Annealing: Solvent and Thickness Effects |
title_fullStr |
Perpendicular Structure Formation of Block Copolymer Thin Films during Thermal Solvent Vapor Annealing: Solvent and Thickness Effects |
title_full_unstemmed |
Perpendicular Structure Formation of Block Copolymer Thin Films during Thermal Solvent Vapor Annealing: Solvent and Thickness Effects |
title_sort |
perpendicular structure formation of block copolymer thin films during thermal solvent vapor annealing: solvent and thickness effects |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Polymers |
issn |
2073-4360 |
publishDate |
2017-10-01 |
description |
Solvent vapor annealing of block copolymer (BCP) thin films can produce a range of interesting morphologies, especially when the perpendicular orientation of micro-domains with respect to the substrate plays a role. This, for instance, allows BCP thin films to serve as useful templates for nanolithography and hybrid materials preparation. However, precise control of the arising morphologies is essential, but in most cases difficult to achieve. In this work, we investigated the solvent and thickness effects on the morphology of poly(styrene-b-2 vinyl pyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) thin films with a film thickness range from 0.4 L0 up to 0.8 L0. Ordered perpendicular structures were achieved. One of the main merits of our work is that the phase behavior of the ultra-high molecular weight BCP thin films, which hold a 100-nm sized domain distance, can be easily monitored via current available techniques, such as scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Systematic monitoring of the self-assembly behavior during solvent vapor annealing can thus provide an experimental guideline for the optimization of processing conditions of related BCP films systems. |
topic |
block copolymers thin films annealing selectivity lamellar |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/9/10/525 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT qiuyanyang perpendicularstructureformationofblockcopolymerthinfilmsduringthermalsolventvaporannealingsolventandthicknesseffects AT katjaloos perpendicularstructureformationofblockcopolymerthinfilmsduringthermalsolventvaporannealingsolventandthicknesseffects |
_version_ |
1725259043001335808 |