Can ionic liquid additives be used to extend the scope of poly(styrene)-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) for directed self-assembly?

Thomas M. Bennett; Kevin Pei; Han-Hao Cheng; Kristofer J. Thurecht; Kevin S. Jack; Idriss Blakey

doi:10.1117/1.JMM.13.3.031304

21 July 2014 Can ionic liquid additives be used to extend the scope of poly(styrene)-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) for directed self-assembly?

Thomas M. Bennett, Kevin Pei, Han-Hao Cheng, Kristofer J. Thurecht, Kevin S. Jack, Idriss Blakey

Author Affiliations +

Journal of Micro/Nanolithography, MEMS, and MOEMS, Vol. 13, Issue 3, 031304 (July 2014). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JMM.13.3.031304

Abstract

Directed self-assembly (DSA) is a promising approach for extending conventional lithographic techniques by being able to print features with critical dimensions under 10 nm. The most widely studied block copolymer system is polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA). This system is well understood in terms of its synthesis, properties, and performance in DSA. However, PS-b-PMMA also has a number of limitations that impact on its performance and hence scope of application. The primary limitation is the low Flory-Huggins polymer-polymer interaction parameter (χ), which limits the size of features that can be printed. Another issue with block copolymers in general is that specific molecular weights need to be synthesized to achieve desired morphologies and feature sizes. Here we explore blending ionic liquid (IL) additives with PS-b-PMMA to increase the χ parameter. ILs have a number of useful properties that include negligible vapor pressure, tunable solvent strength, thermal stability, and chemical stability. The blends of PS-b-PMMA with an IL selective for the PMMA block allowed the resolution of the block copolymer to be improved. Depending on the amount of additive, it is also possible to tune the domain size and the morphology of the systems. These findings may expand the scope of PS-b-PMMA for DSA.

Citation Download Citation

Thomas M. Bennett, Kevin Pei, Han-Hao Cheng, Kristofer J. Thurecht, Kevin S. Jack, and Idriss Blakey "Can ionic liquid additives be used to extend the scope of poly(styrene)-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) for directed self-assembly?," Journal of Micro/Nanolithography, MEMS, and MOEMS 13(3), 031304 (21 July 2014). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JMM.13.3.031304

Published: 21 July 2014

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available