Study of the ordered assembly morphologies of diblock copolymers on the same substrate

Abstract

With the development of frontier technology in emerging semiconductor processes, self-assembling (SA) and directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers (BCPs) have attracted great attention from scientific researchers and become promising candidates for advanced photolithography. Using an optimal coating and baking process, highly ordered assembly morphologies (e.g., cylinder and lamella) of two BCPs in thin films were obtained without an additional topcoat material layer. Moreover, the whole experimental study also provides an optimal process for integrating the two BCPs into the same topographic guiding pattern substrate fabricated by electron beam lithography (EBL) to achieve specific self-assembly. This topographic guiding substrate achieves not only lamellar micro-domains aligned perpendicular to the sidewalls of trench edges but also cylindrical micro-domains (PMMA phase in a PS matrix) aligned parallel to trench edges respectively, which provides insights and valuable information for further applications in lithography and electronic devices.