Self-assembly of block copolymers under nonisothermal annealing conditions as revealed by grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering

An accurate knowledge of the parameters governing the kinetics of block copolymer self-assembly is crucial to model the time- and temperature-dependent evolution of pattern formation during annealing as well as to predict the most efficient conditions for the formation of defect-free patterns. Here,...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Fernández Regúlez, Marta, Solano, Eduardo|||0000-0002-2348-2271, Evangelio Araujo, Laura, Gottlieb, Steven|||0000-0003-1642-8602, Pinto-Gómez, Christian, Rius, Gemma|||0000-0003-0552-1043, Fraxedas, Jordi|||0000-0002-2821-4831, Gutiérrez-Fernández, Edgar, Nogales, Aurora|||0000-0002-2494-3551, García-Gutiérrez, Mari Cruz|||0000-0002-3604-1512, Ezquerra, Tiberio A., Pérez Murano, Francesc|||0000-0002-4647-8558
Format: article
Publication Date:2020
Country:España
Institution:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:251010
Online Access:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/251010
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1107/S1600577520009820
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Block copolymer
Self-assembly
Kinetics
Correlation length
GISAXS
Description
Summary:An accurate knowledge of the parameters governing the kinetics of block copolymer self-assembly is crucial to model the time- and temperature-dependent evolution of pattern formation during annealing as well as to predict the most efficient conditions for the formation of defect-free patterns. Here, the self-assembly kinetics of a lamellar PS-b-PMMA block copolymer under both isothermal and non-isothermal annealing conditions are investigated by combining grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) experiments with a novel modelling methodology that accounts for the annealing history of the block copolymer film before it reaches the isothermal regime. Such a model allows conventional studies in isothermal annealing conditions to be extended to the more realistic case of non-isothermal annealing and prediction of the accuracy in the determination of the relevant parameters, namely the correlation length and the growth exponent, which define the kinetics of the self-assembly.