Thrust One: Directed Assembly of Block Copolymer Materials
Mission: Thrust 1 explores and develops new materials and processes for advanced lithography in which self-assembling block copolymers are integrated into and advance the performance of nanomanufacturing processes. In its capacity as a test bed for block copolymer lithography, Thrust 1 will delineate the insertion point of directed assembly technology in semiconductor manufacturing and patterned media applications.
Long-term Goals: Through fundamental understanding of the physics and chemistry of interfacial phenomena associated with equilibrating block copolymer materials in the presence of lithographically defined chemically nanopatterned substrates, Thrust 1 seeks to synthesize and assemble such materials to enable fabrication at length scales (3-20 nm) not possible with current materials and processes. Essential attributes of existing manufacturing practices must be retained, including pattern perfection, registration and overlay, and the ability to pattern device-oriented geometries, but with at least 2x resolution enhancement and precise control over the shapes and dimensions of patterned features.
Context within the Center: Thrust 1 employs equilibrium based strategies of directed assembly for structured polymeric materials (block copolymers) using surface (chemically nanopatterned substrates) fields. The activities complement those of Thrust 2 with respect to ordering of polymers on surfaces, including nanopatterned surfaces, and the synthesis of new functional materials. Cross-Thrust activities (with Thrust 3) include assembly of nanocomposite materials, assembly in electric fields, and development of computational tools and techniques essential for guiding and interpreting experiments.
Thrust One Highlights
Density Multiplication and Improved Lithography by Directed Block Copolymer Assembly
Graphoepitaxy on Chemically Homogeneous Surfaces (2011)
Surfactant-Assisted Orientation of Thin Diblock Copolymer Films