title: Nanoscale rings fabricated using self-assembled triblock terpolymer templates.
abstract: Although there has been extensive work on the use of self-assembled diblock copolymers for nanolithography, there are few reports of the use of multiblock copolymers, which can form a more diverse range of nanoscale pattern geometries. Pattern transfer from a self-assembled poly(butadiene-b-styrene-b-methyl methacrylate) (PB-b-PS-b-PMMA) triblock terpolymer thin film has been investigated. Polymers of different total molecular weight were synthesized with a predicted morphology consisting of PMMA-core/PS-shell cylinders in a PB matrix. By adjusting the solvent-annealing conditions and the film thickness, thin films with vertically oriented cylinders were formed. The PMMA cylinder cores and the PB matrix were then removed using selective etching to leave an array of PS rings, and the ring pattern was transferred into a silica film by reactive ion etching to form 19 nm high silica rings. This result illustrates the design and use of triblock terpolymers for self-assembled lithography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Vivian P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: Caroline A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Panayiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bilalis
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hadjichristidis
mesh_terms: D002070:Butadienes / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D002070:Butadienes; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011137:Polystyrenes; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate