Instabilities in Patterned Polymer Surfaces

该奖项的研究目的是阐明纳米聚合物表面不稳定性的本质。与在平面聚合物薄膜中积极研究的弹性或粘性不稳定性相比，图案聚合物表面的粘弹性不稳定性在很大程度上仍未被探索，并且由于可能影响其特性的多个变量而更加复杂。本研究将结合实验和理论工作，将对图案不稳定性的科学基础有一个清晰的认识，包括它们的边界条件、特征波长和起始时间的缩放关系、纳米制造参数的作用和材料性质。如果成功，这项研究的结果将有利于图案聚合物表面的应用，这是许多技术的关键组成部分。深入了解图案聚合物表面的不稳定性将为高保真图案制造铺平道路，并使利用溶剂和热退火的制作后工艺成为可能。一旦了解了这些不稳定性，也将为创建新的分层结构提供独特的途径，否则用平行光刻技术制造是具有挑战性的。该奖项将通过直接参与研究，为K-12，本科生和研究生提供教育利益。拨款还将促进材料学位课程的课程设置，为落基山区前沿地区的学生提供机会。研究结果将作为主题和模块纳入课程，并通过期刊出版物、国家会议和TeachEngineering数字图书馆广泛传播。

The research objective of this award is to elucidate the nature of the instabilities in nano-patterned polymer surfaces. Compared with the elastic or viscous instabilities that have been actively studied in planar polymer films, the viscoelastic instabilities in patterned polymer surfaces remain largely unexplored, and are far more complex due to the multiple variables that can affect their characteristics. The proposed study, combining experimental and theoretical work, will result in a clear understanding on the scientific underpinning of the pattern instabilities, including their boundary conditions, scaling relationships for characteristic wavelength and onset time, the role of nano-fabrication parameters, and materials properties.If successful, the results of this research will benefit applications of patterned polymer surfaces, which are critical components to many technologies. Thorough understanding of the instabilities in patterned polymer surface will pave the way for high fidelity pattern fabrications and enable post-fabrication processes that utilize solvents and thermal annealing. These instabilities, once understood, will also offer a unique avenue to create novel hierarchical structures that are otherwise challenging to fabricate with parallel lithographic techniques. This award will provide educational benefits to K-12, undergraduate, and graduate students by directly involving them into the research. The grant will also facilitate curriculum for a materials degree program which offers opportunity for students in the front range of rocky mountain area. The results of the research will be incorporated as topics and modules into courses, as well as broadly disseminated through journal publications, national conferences and TeachEngineering digital library.