Collaborative Research: Fundamentals of Block Copolymer Ordering During Cold Zone Annealing

合作研究：冷区退火过程中嵌段共聚物有序化的基础知识

• 批准号: 1006449
• 负责人: Brian Berry
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: University of Arkansas Little Rock
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-06-01 至 2014-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1006449&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Fundamentals; Block; Copolymer

TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Non-equilibrium processing of block copolymer (BCP) thin films via thermal zone-annealing promises to overcome significant challenges of traditional thermodynamic approaches to create defect free and long-range ordered functional films for high-tech applications. Thermal zone annealing involves passing a moving thermal temperature gradient across the plane of the film to locally melt and solidify the film. Recently a low temperature "cold zone annealing" or CZA version was demonstrated with promising results. Since most block copolymers will degrade at significantly high temperatures above melt point, CZA is broadly applicable to many block copolymer systems. Results for CZA on glassy cylinder forming PS-PMMA block copolymer films indicate up to an order of magnitude in enhanced ordering kinetics and alignment. Based on these promising results, key molecular mechanisms underlying the CZA driven ordering phenomena for BCPs will be examined at a fundamental level. This research will investigate these fundamental aspects of CZA using different block copolymers systems to illuminate general governing principles of CZA induced ordering of block copolymer thin film systems. An important component of the research plan relies on an Activation Energy analysis of ordering of block copolymer in CZA from grain size growth or correlation length development as a function of CZA parameters of velocity, maximum temperature, and gradient magnitude and the BCP molecular weight and block-block interaction parameter. In addition, the origin and mechanism of orientational alignment will be elucidated using both patterned and non-patterned substrates.NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:Block copolymer materials have been the focus over the last decade as potential solutions to a wide range of emerging nanotechnology needs from functional photonic materials to terabit density data storage devices. The major limitation to the use of these materials, however, is the presence of defects. This proposal will seek to understand the fundamentals of a new annealing platform that significantly reduces the barrier to defect removal. These fundamentals could lead to new processing techniques allowing advances in many industrially relevant fields. The PI's students will get experience at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Lab allowing for exposure and training at national research facilities. An active component of the research is aimed at involving students at adjacent high-schools through the Akron Early College High School program as well the Post Secondary Distance Learning Opportunities and through a new program between St. Vincent St. Mary's High School in Akron and the College of Polymer Science and Engineering involving both students and teachers. In addition, the research will involve minority and women participation in their research program and both the University of Akron and University of Arkansas at Little Rock are both well known for their high ratio of minorities and women in research programs. In addition, this research project at UALR would incorporate secondary high school science teachers during the summer through a program known as STRIVE. The exposure of the teachers to this research including synthesis and nanocharacterization would improve their science skills as well as their understanding of the field making them better educators.

技术概要：通过热区退火的嵌段共聚物（BCP）薄膜的非平衡处理有望克服传统热力学方法的重大挑战，以产生用于高科技应用的无缺陷和长程有序的功能膜。 热区退火涉及使移动的热温度梯度穿过膜的平面以局部熔化和固化膜。 最近，低温“冷区退火”或CZA版本被证明具有有希望的结果。 由于大多数嵌段共聚物将在高于熔点的显著高温下降解，因此CZA广泛适用于许多嵌段共聚物体系。 结果CZA上的玻璃状圆柱体形成的PS-PMMA嵌段共聚物膜表明了一个数量级的增强有序动力学和对齐。 基于这些有希望的结果，关键的分子机制CZA驱动的BCP的有序现象将在一个基本的水平上进行检查。 本研究将调查这些基本方面的CZA使用不同的嵌段共聚物系统，以阐明一般的管理原则CZA诱导有序的嵌段共聚物薄膜系统。 研究计划的一个重要组成部分依赖于从粒度生长或相关长度发展的CZA参数的速度，最高温度和梯度大小和BCP分子量和嵌段-嵌段相互作用参数的函数的CZA中的嵌段共聚物的排序的活化能分析。 此外，将阐明使用图案化和非图案化substrates.NON-TECHNICAL摘要：嵌段共聚物材料的起源和机制的取向对准一直是焦点在过去十年中作为潜在的解决方案，以广泛的新兴纳米技术的需求，从功能光子材料到太比特密度的数据存储设备。 然而，使用这些材料的主要限制是存在缺陷。 该提案将寻求了解新退火平台的基本原理，该平台显著降低了缺陷去除的障碍。 这些基本原理可能导致新的加工技术，从而在许多工业相关领域取得进展。 PI的学生将在阿贡国家实验室的高级光子源获得经验，允许在国家研究机构进行曝光和培训。这项研究的一个积极组成部分旨在通过阿克伦早期学院高中方案以及中学后远程学习机会，并通过阿克伦圣文森特圣玛丽高中和聚合物科学与工程学院之间的一个新方案，让学生和教师参与邻近高中的学习。此外，这项研究将涉及少数民族和妇女参与他们的研究计划，阿克伦大学和位于小石城的阿肯色州大学都以少数民族和妇女在研究计划中的高比例而闻名。 此外，UALR的这一研究项目将在夏季通过一个名为“BASEVE”的方案将中学科学教师纳入其中。教师接触这项研究，包括合成和纳米表征，将提高他们的科学技能，以及他们对该领域的理解，使他们成为更好的教育者。