Self-Assembly of Partially Modified Block Copolymers in Thin Films

초록

The self-assembly of block copolymers in thin films has been a subject of recent studies from both academic and industrial perspectives. Its potential applications include nanolithography and membranes. In this talk, I will present recent studies on fundamental issues associated with partially modified block copolymer thin films. Specifically, the bulk and interfacial wetting properties of partially epoxidized poly(styrene-b-isoprene) diblock copolymers were studied. The incorporation of the random copolymer architecture induced decoupling between the bulk and the thin-film thermodynamics. The tunable surface wetting, a consequence of the partial modification, permitted control over the orientation of the domains in the thin films. Then, the thin-film morphologies of block copolymers characterized by a non-preferential free surface were investigated while varying the molecular weights of the block copolymers and the chemistry of the underlying interface.