Fabrication of well-defined block copolymer nano-cylinders by controlling the thermodynamics and kinetics involved in block copolymer self-assembly

Abstract

Self-assembled 3-dimensional perpendicular cylinder orientation was achieved mainly by thermodynamic control of incompatibility between the block domains, and further precise modification of size and hexagonal alignment of perpendicular cylinders was also accomplished by kinetic control of diffusive molecular mobility of block copolymer microdomains. Since those two controls have been achieved by simple blending of minority homopolymers, the intrinsic advantages of block copolymer nanopatterning, such as fast and spontaneous 3-dimensional nanopatterning with high stability and reproducibility, have been completely preserved in this fabrication strategy. Thus, the fabrication strategy using the simple blending of a block copolymer with its homopolymer at an appropriate molecular weight creates new opportunities for the fabrication of low-cost and high-throughput nanostructured block copolymer materials with highly controlled 3-dimensional nanopatterns.