Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Processing-Driven Control of the Properties of Polymer Grafted Nanoparticle Composites.

ACS nano·2026
Same author

Neutron Reflectometry Reveals Diffusion in Contrast-Matched Brush Particle Bilayers.

ACS macro letters·2026
Same author

Effect of mixing order on structure and formation of polyelectrolyte complexes.

Journal of colloid and interface science·2026
Same author

Glassy dynamics of model complex coacervate films with variable interaction strength quantified by the critical salt concentration.

Soft matter·2025
Same author

Two-Dimensional Covalent Organic Framework Films for High Dielectric Strength Electrically and Thermo-Mechanically Stable Low Permittivity Dielectrics.

ACS nano·2025
Same author

MXene-Integrated Composites for Biomedical Applications: Synthesis, Cancer Diagnosis, and Emerging Frontiers.

Small science·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
06:26

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

Published on: May 15, 2017

Dynamic thermal field-induced gradient soft-shear for highly oriented block copolymer thin films.

Gurpreet Singh1, Kevin G Yager, Brian Berry

  • 1Department of Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States.

ACS Nano
|October 31, 2012
PubMed
Summary

This study presents a new method for large-scale, unidirectional alignment of block copolymer (BCP) nanostructures using a thermally induced soft-shear field. This technique achieves over 99% alignment, paving the way for advanced nanodevices.

More Related Videos

Procedure for the Transfer of Polymer Films Onto Porous Substrates with Minimized Defects
05:02

Procedure for the Transfer of Polymer Films Onto Porous Substrates with Minimized Defects

Published on: June 22, 2019

Chemical Synthesis of Porous Barium Titanate Thin Film and Thermal Stabilization of Ferroelectric Phase by Porosity-Induced Strain
08:00

Chemical Synthesis of Porous Barium Titanate Thin Film and Thermal Stabilization of Ferroelectric Phase by Porosity-Induced Strain

Published on: March 27, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 17, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
06:26

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

Published on: May 15, 2017

Procedure for the Transfer of Polymer Films Onto Porous Substrates with Minimized Defects
05:02

Procedure for the Transfer of Polymer Films Onto Porous Substrates with Minimized Defects

Published on: June 22, 2019

Chemical Synthesis of Porous Barium Titanate Thin Film and Thermal Stabilization of Ferroelectric Phase by Porosity-Induced Strain
08:00

Chemical Synthesis of Porous Barium Titanate Thin Film and Thermal Stabilization of Ferroelectric Phase by Porosity-Induced Strain

Published on: March 27, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Polymer Science

Background:

  • Conventional patterning technologies face limitations for creating smaller, more powerful devices.
  • Block copolymers (BCPs) offer potential for nanostructure fabrication through directed self-assembly.
  • Need for scalable and efficient methods to control BCP nanostructure alignment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a facile and scalable method for fabricating unidirectionally aligned BCP nanopatterns.
  • To utilize a thermally induced dynamic gradient soft-shear field for directed self-assembly.
  • To demonstrate the method's effectiveness on various substrates and scales.

Main Methods:

  • Employing a block copolymer (BCP) film confined by a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer.
  • Inducing a gradient soft-shear field via localized differential thermal expansion and contraction of PDMS.
  • Applying a dynamic thermal field to create oscillatory shear (∼12 × 10(4) Pa).
  • Fabricating aligned BCP thin films across diverse thicknesses (nm to μm) and speeds (μm/s to mm/s).

Main Results:

  • Successful large-scale, unidirectional alignment of BCP nanopatterns on template-free substrates (rigid and flexible).
  • Achieved ≥99% aligned orientational order with an angular spread Δθ(fwhm) ≤ 5°.
  • Demonstrated applicability across a wide range of BCP film thicknesses and processing speeds.
  • Grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering confirmed high-quality alignment without isotropic populations.

Conclusions:

  • The developed method provides a rapid and scalable approach for creating highly aligned BCP nanostructures.
  • This technique overcomes limitations of conventional patterning for advanced device fabrication.
  • The process shows significant potential for practical industrial applications in nanotechnology.