title: Neutral wetting brush layers for block copolymer thin films using homopolymer blends processed at high temperatures.
abstract: Binary homopolymer blends of two hydroxyl-terminated polystyrene (PS-OH) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA-OH) homopolymers (Mn ∼ 16000 g mol(-1)) were grafted on SiO2 substrates by high-temperature (T > 150 °C), short-time (t < 600 s) thermal treatments. The resulting brush layer was tested to screen preferential interactions of the SiO2 substrate with the different symmetric and asymmetric PS-b-PMMA block copolymers deposited on top of the grafted molecules. By properly adjusting the blend composition and the processing parameters, an efficient surface neutralization path was identified, enabling the formation, in the block copolymer film, of homogeneous textures of lamellae or cylinders perpendicularly oriented with respect to the substrate. A critical interplay between the phase segregation of the homopolymer blends and their grafting process on the SiO2 was observed. In fact, the polar SiO2 is preferential for the PMMA-rich phase that forms a homogeneous layer on the substrate, while the PS-rich phase is located at the polymer-air interface. During the thermal treatment, phase segregation and grafting proceed simultaneously. Complete wetting of the PS rich phase on the PMMA rich phase leads to the formation of a PS/PMMA bilayer. In this case, the progressive diffusion of PS chains toward the polymer-SiO2 interface during the thermal treatment allows tuning of the brush layer composition.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio MDM, IMM-CNR, Via C. Olivetti 2, 20864 Agrate Brianza, MB, Italy. Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 16, Milano, 20133, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ceresoli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palermo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrarese Lupi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Seguini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perego
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zuccheri
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Phadatare
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Antonioli
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gianotti
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sparnacci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laus