Double textured cylindrical block copolymer domains via directional solidification on a topographically patterned substrate

Directional solidification of cylinder forming block copolymer films confined between a directionally crystallizing solvent (benzoic acid) and a topographically patterned silicon substrate imparts a particular orientation to the block copolymer microdomains that is dependent of the solidification direction and the local film thickness. The substrate features (30 nm high, 2 mum wide square mesas on a 4 mum sq lattice) shape the film morphology by periodically modulating the local film thickness. Thicker regions between substrate features (plateaus) exhibit in-plane cylinders aligned in the crystallization direction and thinner regions over the substrate features (mesas) display vertically aligned cylindrical domains. This approach is a simple and general technique for engineering an intended domain orientation in specific areas of a block copolymer film. Development of this method for nanolithographic applications is demonstrated through oxygen plasma reactive ion etching of the patterned cylindrical domains. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.