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

非技术概述：这项研究旨在解决制造成本更低、效率更高、重量更轻、规模更小的系统的挑战，应用范围从数字媒体的信息或数据存储设备到可能筛查和治疗无数疾病的便携式生物传感阵列。该项目将基础研究与工业合作伙伴的合作援助相结合，以产生纳米级特征(约为人类头发宽度的千分之一)，这些特征有可能从实验室规模转化为广泛可用的平台。在采用这种协作方法时，研究团队将使用与商业相关的聚合物，这些聚合物被创造出来自发地形成超小特征，其形状和功能可以通过加工条件来决定。通过将材料化学、材料性能和加工等方面联系起来，该项目将有助于对聚合物系统进行成本效益评估，以生产出高效的电子设备。这个项目在充满活力和协作的实验室环境中为学生(包括未被充分代表的本科生和经济困难的高中生)提供研究机会，并向所有级别的学生展示制造新的纳米材料的尖端概念，这些材料可以导致更低的成本和更节能的计算机相关设备的制造。技术摘要：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，从自组装的大分子开发新的纳米模板。这项工作的一个特别目标是研究嵌段共聚物中的星形结构(和可变嵌段化学)，作为一种可行的方法来生成用于纳米模板应用的具有减小特征尺寸的“可写”和定向纳米结构。通过实现这一目标，特拉华大学和杜邦团队将满足纳米模板和位图案化介质领域的关键需求，包括以低成本快速生成具有明确特征的薄膜模板的能力，具有适当和可寻址的取向和磁区，缺陷最少，以及接近较小特征尺寸(5 Nm)的能力。为了促进一般理解，拟议的活动结合了1)各种嵌段共聚物的结构和化学，2)开发独特的溶剂蒸气退火法(带有软剪切的栅格溶剂蒸气退火法)，以及3)特拉华大学的大分子设计、合成、自组装和表征专业知识以及杜邦的纳米加工和材料专业知识。具体研究主题包括：(1)研究星型和线型嵌段共聚物定向自组装的差异，利用中等排斥和高度排斥两种聚合物-聚合物相互作用来减小特征尺寸，改善纳米结构有序性，并控制纳米结构取向；(2)利用新开发的定向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微区之间的溶剂分配；(4)采用新提出的“柔性刀片”流动涂层来同时浇铸和取向纳米结构。

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.