Collaborative Research: Fundamentals of Block Copolymer Ordering During Cold Zone Annealing

合作研究：冷区退火过程中嵌段共聚物有序化的基础知识

• 批准号: 1006421
• 负责人: Alamgir Karim
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: University of Akron
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-06-01 至 2014-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1006421&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Fundamentals; Block; Copolymer

TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Non-equilibrium processing of block copolymer (BCP) thin films via thermal zone-annealing promises to overcome significant challenges of traditional thermodynamic approaches to create defect free and long-range ordered functional films for high-tech applications. Thermal zone annealing involves passing a moving thermal temperature gradient across the plane of the film to locally melt and solidify the film. Recently a low temperature "cold zone annealing" or CZA version was demonstrated with promising results. Since most block copolymers will degrade at significantly high temperatures above melt point, CZA is broadly applicable to many block copolymer systems. Results for CZA on glassy cylinder forming PS-PMMA block copolymer films indicate up to an order of magnitude in enhanced ordering kinetics and alignment. Based on these promising results, key molecular mechanisms underlying the CZA driven ordering phenomena for BCPs will be examined at a fundamental level. This research will investigate these fundamental aspects of CZA using different block copolymers systems to illuminate general governing principles of CZA induced ordering of block copolymer thin film systems. An important component of the research plan relies on an Activation Energy (Ea) analysis of ordering of block copolymer in CZA from grain size growth or correlation length development as a function of CZA parameters of velocity (V), maximum temperature (Tmax), and gradient magnitude (G) and the BCP molecular weight (Mw) and block-block interaction parameter. In addition, the origin and mechanism of orientational alignment will be elucidated using both patterned and non-patterned substrates.NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:Block copolymer materials have been the focus over the last decade as potential solutions to a wide range of emerging nanotechnology needs from functional photonic materials to terabit density data storage devices. The major limitation to the use of these materials, however, is the presence of defects. This proposal will seek to understand the fundamentals of a new annealing platform that significantly reduces the barrier to defect removal. These fundamentals could lead to new processing techniques allowing advances in many industrially relevant fields. The PI's students will get experience at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Lab allowing for exposure and training at national research facilities. An active component of the research is aimed at involving students at adjacent high-schools through the Akron Early College High School program as well the Post Secondary Distance Learning Opportunities (PSEOP) and through a new program between St. Vincent St. Mary's High School in Akron and the College of Polymer Science and Engineering involving both students and teachers. In addition, the research will involve minority and women participation in their research program and both the University of Akron and University of Arkansas at Little Rock are both well known for their high ratio of minorities and women in research programs. In addition, this research project at UALR would incorporate secondary high school science teachers during the summer through a program known as STRIVE. The exposure of the teachers to this research including synthesis and nanocharacterization would improve their science skills as well as their understanding of the field making them better educators.

技术摘要：通过热区退火对嵌段共聚物 (BCP) 薄膜进行非平衡加工有望克服传统热力学方法的重大挑战，为高科技应用创建无缺陷且长程有序的功能薄膜。 热区退火涉及使移动的热温度梯度穿过薄膜平面以局部熔化和固化薄膜。 最近，低温“冷区退火”或 CZA 版本已被证明具有良好的结果。 由于大多数嵌段共聚物会在熔点以上的高温下降解，因此 CZA 广泛适用于许多嵌段共聚物体系。 CZA 在玻璃状圆柱体上形成 PS-PMMA 嵌段共聚物薄膜的结果表明，有序动力学和排列的增强达到了一个数量级。 基于这些有希望的结果，CZA 驱动的 BCP 排序现象背后的关键分子机制将从根本上进行研究。 本研究将使用不同的嵌段共聚物系统研究 CZA 的这些基本方面，以阐明 CZA 诱导嵌段共聚物薄膜系统有序化的一般控制原理。 该研究计划的一个重要组成部分依赖于对 CZA 中嵌段共聚物排序的活化能 (Ea) 分析，该分析是根据晶粒尺寸增长或相关长度发展作为 CZA 参数速度 (V)、最高温度 (Tmax) 和梯度大小 (G) 和 BCP 分子量 (Mw) 以及块间相互作用参数。 此外，将使用图案化和非图案化基材来阐明定向排列的起源和机制。 非技术摘要：嵌段共聚物材料作为满足各种新兴纳米技术需求的潜在解决方案，在过去十年中一直受到关注。功能光子材料到太比特密度数据存储设备。 然而，使用这些材料的主要限制是存在缺陷。 该提案将寻求了解新退火平台的基本原理，该平台可显着降低缺陷去除的障碍。 这些基本原理可能会带来新的加工技术，从而促进许多工业相关领域的进步。 PI 的学生将在阿贡国家实验室的高级光子源中获得经验，从而能够在国家研究设施中进行暴露和培训。该研究的一个积极组成部分旨在通过阿克伦早期学院高中计划以及中学后远程学习机会（PSEOP）以及圣文森特圣玛丽高中之间的新计划让邻近高中的学生参与进来。阿克伦和高分子科学与工程学院涉及学生和教师。此外，该研究将涉及少数族裔和女性参与其研究项目，阿克伦大学和阿肯色大学小石城分校均以其研究项目中少数族裔和女性的高比例而闻名。 此外，UALR 的这个研究项目将在夏季通过名为 STRIVE 的项目吸收中学科学教师的参与。教师接触这项研究，包括合成和纳米表征，将提高他们的科学技能以及对该领域的理解，使他们成为更好的教育者。