GOALI: Directed Self-Assembly of Linear and Star Block Copolymer Thin Films - Oriented Nanostructures with Reduced Feature Sizes via Raster Annealing

非技术总结：本研究旨在解决制造低成本，更高效，重量更轻，规模更小的系统的挑战，这些系统的应用范围从数字媒体的信息或数据存储设备到便携式生物传感阵列，可以潜在地筛选和治疗无数疾病。 该项目将基础研究与工业合作伙伴的合作援助相结合，以生成纳米级特征（人类头发宽度的1/1000），这些特征有可能从实验室规模转化为广泛可用的平台。 在采用这种合作方法时，研究团队将使用商业相关的聚合物，这些聚合物可以自发形成超小特征，其形状和功能可以通过加工条件来决定。 通过将材料化学，材料特性和加工方面联系起来，该项目将有助于对聚合物系统进行成本效益评估，以生成高效的电子设备。 该项目为学生提供研究机会（包括代表性不足的本科生和经济上处于不利地位的高中生）在一个充满活力和协作的实验室环境中，并使各级学生接触到制造新的纳米尺度材料的尖端概念，这些材料可能导致计算机相关设备的更低成本和更节能的制造。PI和他在杜邦的工业合作伙伴合作，使用商业相关的嵌段共聚物从自组装大分子中开发新的纳米模板。 这项工作的一个特别的目标是调查的星星架构（和可变嵌段化学）在嵌段共聚物作为一个可行的手段，用于产生“可写”和定向纳米结构与纳米模板应用程序的特征尺寸减小。 通过实现这一目标，特拉华州大学和杜邦团队将解决纳米模板和位图案化介质竞技场的关键需求，包括以低成本快速生成具有明确特征的薄膜模板的能力，具有适当的和可寻址的方向和域，具有最小的缺陷，并接近较小的特征尺寸（5 nm）。 为了促进一般的理解，拟议的活动结合联合收割机1）各种嵌段共聚物结构和化学的检查，2）一种独特的溶剂蒸气退火方法（光栅溶剂蒸气退火与软剪切）的发展，和3）大分子设计，合成，自组装，和表征专业知识的特拉华州大学和杜邦公司的纳米加工和材料的专业知识。 具体的研究主题包括：（1）研究星星和线性嵌段共聚物定向自组装之间的差异，所述定向自组装使用中等排斥和高度排斥的聚合物-聚合物相互作用来减小特征尺寸、改善纳米结构有序性和控制纳米结构取向;（2）利用新开发的定向和可编程溶剂退火工艺来定向排列具有最小缺陷的纳米结构;（3）通过中子散射技术探测域之间的溶剂分配;（4）结合新提出的“柔性叶片”流涂以同时浇铸和排列纳米结构。

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:This research aims to address the challenge of manufacturing lower cost, more efficient, lighter weight, and smaller scale systems for applications ranging from information or data storage devices for digital media to portable biosensing arrays that could potentially screen and treat a myriad of diseases. The project integrates fundamental research with collaborative assistance from an industrial partner to generate nanoscale features (of order 1/1000th the width of a human hair) that have potential to be translated from the laboratory-scale to a widely available and useable platform. In undertaking this collaborative approach, the research team will use commercially-relevant polymers that are created to spontaneously form ultra-small features, whose shape and function can be dictated through processing conditions. By linking aspects of materials chemistry, materials properties, and processing, this project will aid in the cost-effective evaluation of polymer systems to generated efficient electronic devices. This project provides research opportunities to students (including underrepresented undergraduate and economically-disadvantaged high school students) in a vibrant and collaborative laboratory setting and exposes students of all levels to cutting-edge concepts for making new nanometer scale materials that could lead to lower cost and more energy-efficient fabrication of computer-related devices.TECHNICAL SUMMARY:The PI and his industrial partner at DuPont collaborate to develop new nanotemplates from self-assembling macromolecules using commercially-relevant block copolymers. A particular goal of this work is to investigate star architectures (and variable block chemistries) in block copolymers as a viable means for generating "writeable" and oriented nanostructures with reduced feature sizes for nanotemplating applications. By accomplishing this goal, the University of Delaware and DuPont team will address key needs in the arena of nanotemplating and bit-patterned media, including the ability to rapidly generate thin film templates with well-defined features at low cost, with appropriate and addressable orientations and domains, with minimal defects, and approaching smaller feature sizes ( 5 nm). To facilitate general understanding, the proposed activities combine 1) the examination of various block copolymer architectures and chemistries, 2) the development of a unique solvent vapor annealing approach (raster solvent vapor annealing with soft shear), and 3) the macromolecular design, synthesis, self-assembly, and characterization expertise of the University of Delaware and the nanoprocessing and materials expertise of DuPont. Specific research themes include: (1) investigating the differences between star and linear block copolymer directed self-assembly using both moderately-repulsive and highly-repulsive polymer-polymer interactions to reduce feature sizes, improve nanostructure ordering, and control nanostructure orientation; (2) utilizing a newly-developed directed and programmable solvent annealing process to directionally align nanostructures with minimal defects; (3) probing solvent partitioning between domains via neutron scattering techniques; (4) incorporating newly-proposed "flexible-blade" flow coating to simultaneously cast and align nanostructures.