Orientation Control of Block Copolymers Using Surface Active, Phase-Preferential Additives.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Controlling the orientation of thin film nanostructures from block copolymers (BCPs) is crucial for technologies like separation membranes, nanopatterning, and energy storage.
• Achieving perpendicular orientation of BCP domains remains a significant challenge in the field.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an integration-friendly approach for achieving perpendicular orientation of BCP domains.
• To demonstrate the utility of perpendicularly oriented BCP domains in advanced semiconductor patterning and pattern transfer.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of a small amount of a phase-preferential, surface-active polymer (SAP) as an additive into a polycarbonate-containing BCP formulation.
• Thermal annealing to induce self-assembly and domain orientation.
• Pattern transfer into a hardmask layer using etch techniques and graphoepitaxy-based directed self-assembly.

Main Results:

• Successfully obtained perpendicularly oriented BCP domains with a 19 nm natural periodicity.
• Demonstrated the application of these vertically oriented domains for next-generation semiconductor patterning.
• Successfully transferred patterns into a hardmask layer using established etch techniques and directed self-assembly.

Conclusions:

• The novel formulation-based approach using SAP additives is effective for achieving perpendicular BCP domain orientation.
• This method offers a versatile and easily extendable solution for nanopatterning applications.
• The technique shows promise for integration into existing lithographic schemes for advanced semiconductor nodes.