Mechanisms of Directed Self-Assembly in Cylindrical Hole Confinements

Bezik, Cody T.; Garner, Grant P.; de Pablo, Juan J.

doi:10.1021/acs.macromol.7b02639

Title: Mechanisms of Directed Self-Assembly in Cylindrical Hole Confinements

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Abstract

We report the directed self-assembly of block copolymers in cylindrical holes is a promising technology for lithographic patterning, particularly in the context of vertical interconnect accesses. While the hole-shrink process for single cylinders has been extensively explored, the proliferation of morphological defects remains a significant technological barrier. We use a coarse grained model to explore morphologies that form within cylindrical confinements for combinations of template surface energies. We identify metastable defect morphologies, in addition to the desired cylindrical morphology, in majority-wetting sidewall templates. We use our coarse-grained model and the string method to identify transition pathways between defective morphologies and the cylindrical morphology to elucidate the mechanism of defect annihilation within the confinements; the transition pathway from a disordered state is also identified. Lastly, this work demonstrates that the minimum free energy path for the formation of a cylinder goes through defective morphologies and that designing confinements can eliminate these undesirable transition states.

Authors:

^[1]; Garner, Grant P. ^[1];

^[2]

Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States)
Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States); Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Publication Date:: Fri Mar 16 00:00:00 EDT 2018

Research Org.:: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division; National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) - Center for Hierarchical Materials Design (CHiMaD)

OSTI Identifier:: 1498499

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-06CH11357

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Macromolecules

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 51; Journal Issue: 7; Journal ID: ISSN 0024-9297

Publisher:: American Chemical Society

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 42 ENGINEERING

Citation Formats


                    Bezik, Cody T., Garner, Grant P., and de Pablo, Juan J. Mechanisms of Directed Self-Assembly in Cylindrical Hole Confinements.  United States: N. p., 2018. 
Web.  doi:10.1021/acs.macromol.7b02639.

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                    Bezik, Cody T., Garner, Grant P., & de Pablo, Juan J. Mechanisms of Directed Self-Assembly in Cylindrical Hole Confinements.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.7b02639

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                    Bezik, Cody T., Garner, Grant P., and de Pablo, Juan J. Fri .  
"Mechanisms of Directed Self-Assembly in Cylindrical Hole Confinements".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.7b02639.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1498499.

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@article{osti_1498499,

  title        = {Mechanisms of Directed Self-Assembly in Cylindrical Hole Confinements},

  author       = {Bezik, Cody T. and Garner, Grant P. and de Pablo, Juan J.},

  abstractNote = {We report the directed self-assembly of block copolymers in cylindrical holes is a promising technology for lithographic patterning, particularly in the context of vertical interconnect accesses. While the hole-shrink process for single cylinders has been extensively explored, the proliferation of morphological defects remains a significant technological barrier. We use a coarse grained model to explore morphologies that form within cylindrical confinements for combinations of template surface energies. We identify metastable defect morphologies, in addition to the desired cylindrical morphology, in majority-wetting sidewall templates. We use our coarse-grained model and the string method to identify transition pathways between defective morphologies and the cylindrical morphology to elucidate the mechanism of defect annihilation within the confinements; the transition pathway from a disordered state is also identified. Lastly, this work demonstrates that the minimum free energy path for the formation of a cylinder goes through defective morphologies and that designing confinements can eliminate these undesirable transition states.},

  doi          = {10.1021/acs.macromol.7b02639},

  journal      = {Macromolecules},

  number       = 7,

  volume       = 51,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Fri Mar 16 00:00:00 EDT 2018},

  month        = {Fri Mar 16 00:00:00 EDT 2018}

}

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