title: Evolution of lateral ordering in symmetric block copolymer thin films upon rapid thermal processing.
abstract: This work reports experimental findings about the evolution of lateral ordering of lamellar microdomains in symmetric PS-b-PMMA thin films on featureless substrates. Phase separation and microdomain evolution are explored in a rather wide range of temperatures (190-340 °C) using a rapid thermal processing (RTP) system. The maximum processing temperature that enables the ordering of block copolymers without introducing any significant degradation of macromolecules is identified. The reported results clearly indicate that the range of accessible temperatures in the processing of these self-assembling materials is mainly limited by the thermal instability of the grafted random copolymer layer, which starts to degrade at T > 300 °C, inducing detachment of the block copolymer thin film. For T ⩽ 290 °C, clear dependence of correlation length (ξ) values on temperature is observed. The highest level of lateral order achievable in the current system in a quasi-equilibrium condition was obtained at the upper processing temperature limit after an annealing time as short as 60 s.
authors: Laboratorio MDM, IMM-CNR, Via C. Olivetti 2, Agrate Brianza 20864, Italy. Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 16, Milano 20133, Italy.
authors: Monica
authors: M
authors: Ceresoli
authors: Federico
authors: F
authors: Ferrarese Lupi
authors: Gabriele
authors: G
authors: Seguini
authors: Katia
authors: K
authors: Sparnacci
authors: Valentina
authors: V
authors: Gianotti
authors: Diego
authors: D
authors: Antonioli
authors: Michele
authors: M
authors: Laus
authors: Luca
authors: L
authors: Boarino
authors: Michele
authors: M
authors: Perego