Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026
08:40
Gyroid Nickel Nanostructures from Diblock Copolymer Supramolecules
Published on: April 28, 2014
Nanoscale rings fabricated using self-assembled triblock terpolymer templates
Vivian P Chuang1, Caroline A Ross, Panayiotis Bilalis
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
ACS Nano
|February 12, 2009
Summary
Researchers utilized a triblock terpolymer to create nanoscale patterns, demonstrating a novel approach for self-assembled lithography. This method successfully fabricated 19 nm high silica rings, paving the way for advanced nanolithography techniques.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Diblock copolymers are widely used in nanolithography, but multiblock copolymers offer potential for more diverse nanoscale patterns.
- Previous research has primarily focused on diblock copolymers, leaving multiblock copolymers underexplored for nanolithography applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the pattern transfer capabilities of self-assembled poly(butadiene-b-styrene-b-methyl methacrylate) triblock terpolymer thin films.
- To demonstrate the fabrication of nanoscale ring patterns using a triblock terpolymer system.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of poly(butadiene-b-styrene-b-methyl methacrylate) (PB-b-PS-PMMA) triblock terpolymers with varying molecular weights.
- Formation of vertically oriented cylinders via solvent-annealing and control of film thickness.
- Selective etching of PMMA cores and PB matrix to create polystyrene (PS) rings.
- Pattern transfer into a silica film using reactive ion etching.
Main Results:
- Achieved vertically oriented cylinder morphology in thin films by optimizing solvent-annealing and film thickness.
- Successfully created an array of PS rings after selective etching.
- Transferred the ring pattern into a silica film, resulting in 19 nm high silica rings.
Conclusions:
- Triblock terpolymers can be designed and utilized for advanced self-assembled lithography.
- This study demonstrates a viable method for creating nanoscale patterns with potential applications in semiconductor manufacturing and nanotechnology.
