Nanomaterials Engineering with Sequential Infiltration Synthesis In Block Copolymers

Nanomaterials Engineering with Sequential Infiltration Synthesis in Block copolymers

Qing Peng,¹ Yu-Chih Tseng,² Seth B. Darling,² and Jeffrey W. Elam¹

¹Energy Systems Division and ²Center for Nanoscale Materials at Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, 9700 South Cass Ave., IL, 60439

Corresponding address: jelam@anl.gov

Abstract for AICHE 2011

Nanoscale patterning of materials with controllable characteristic feature sizes, shapes, and compositions is of considerable interest in a wide range of fields. Various lithography processes have been used for nanosclae patterning including photolithography, Ebeam lithography, and block copolymer lithography.  For a majority of these processes, polymers are used for transferring a pattern onto the desired material. On the other hand, atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been used to modify the physical and chemical properties of polymers.

In this work, we introduce a new process based on ALD, sequential infiltration process (SIS), capable of chemically modifying the polymers used in lithography to achieve more sophisticated control in nanomaterials engineering.  Specifically, we will present applications of SIS process to self-assembled block copolymers (BCPs) thin films which form ordered periodic nanostructures (e.g. spheres, cylinders, lamellar and bicontinuous structures) due to microphase separation of the incompatible blocks.  In this way we generate ordered nanoscale patterns of different materials with tunable dimensions.  Mechanism studies will be shown to illustrate the unique reaction and diffusion phenomena involved when applying SIS to different polymer systems. Extended applications of the process will also be included.

Through rational design of the polymer chemistries and selection of SIS parameters, patterned designer materials with controlled size, shapes, spacing, symmetry, and composition can be synthesized on various substrates for various applications.