Lithographically Defined Cross-Linkable Top Coats for Nanomanufacturing with High-χ Block Copolymers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers (BCPs) is crucial for manufacturing high-resolution nanofeatures.
• Challenges include dewetting, controlled domain orientation, and precise spatial positioning of BCP features.
• Existing methods require further optimization for reliable large-scale implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce novel top-coat (TC) materials for enhanced DSA of BCPs.
• To address critical issues of dewetting and domain orientation in BCP self-assembly.
• To enable controlled, localized patterning of BCP nanostructures.

Main Methods:

• Development of novel top-coat (TC) materials capable of thermal or photo-triggered cross-linking.
• Application of TC layer to BCPs, inducing mechanical confinement and suppressing dewetting.
• Utilizing lithography on the patternable TC layer for selective area processing and feature registration.

Main Results:

• Cross-linked TC layer effectively suppresses dewetting of the underlying BCP layer.
• The TC material promotes perpendicular orientation of BCP domains.
• Patternable TC allows for lithographic selection of areas with desired perpendicular BCP features.

Conclusions:

• Novel cross-linkable TC materials offer a viable solution for controlling BCP dewetting and orientation.
• The developed method enables precise, localized generation of BCP patterns and multilayers.
• This approach presents attractive integration pathways for advanced nanomanufacturing applications.