Directed Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers Based on the Heterogeneous Nucleation Process

Abstract

By introducing the heterogeneous nucleation concept to directed self-assembly of block copolymers, the ordering of dynamical process and defect pattern design in thin films of binary blend, AB diblock/C homopolymer (AB/C), are investigated by the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory and simulated by the cell dynamics simulations. The detailed annealing process of a few isolated defects occurring in AB/C blend under triangular and hexagonal confinements is presented, and it indicates that angle-matched confinement of triangular and hexagonal potential well is favorable conditions for generating defect-free ordered structures. Mean-while, we gave a model which composed of many double-spot potentials with controllable position and orientation to investigate the relationship between defect spacing and mismatched angle, and we found the relationship is similar to hard crystals. Additionally, as an example, the design of defect pattern of “ NXU ” for abbreviation of Ningxia University is proposed and tested. In this chapter, the feasibility of directed self-assembly of block copolymers based on the heterogeneous nucleation process is systematically confirmed.