From Lab to Fab: Enabling Enhanced Control of Block Polymer Thin-Film Nanostructures

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Block polymer (BP) self-assembly is an ideal approach to generate periodic nanostructures for thin-film applications such as nanolithography, ultrahigh-density memory storage, sensors, and membrane filtration. However, numerous commercial uses require well-ordered nanopatterns and/or precisely controlled domain orientations that can be produced quickly and reliably. In this Spotlight on Applications, advances in BP thin-film fabrication are highlighted including fundamental studies of BP microphase separation, methods to anneal with improved ordering kinetics, and techniques for shear-based directed self-assembly (DSA); the studies discussed represent important steps toward effective large-area manufacturing of nanoscale features. First, combinatorial/gradient and in situ investigations of interfacial energetics, solvent interactions, and DSA are presented because of the unique insights they provide with respect to morphology control. Next, methods to manipulate BP thin-film morphologies by annealing or shear-based DSA are discussed, highlighting key aspects for these approaches: speed, adaptability roll-to-roll compatibility, and BP system versatility. Finally, an overview of some of the challenges that limit the wider adoption of BP thin-film technologies, and several opportunities to overcome these hurdles are considered, such as latent alignment and multistep processing.