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Sub-25 nm Inorganic and Dielectric Nanopattern Arrays on Substrates: A Block Copolymer-Assisted Lithography.

ABSTRACT: A range of well-ordered inorganic (antimony, tin, and tungsten oxide) and dielectric (silica, alumina, and hafnia) nanoparticles and nanowire array patterns are created on substrates by a low-cost block copolymer (BCP) approach. A cylindrical-phase PS-b-PEO BCP is used as a template with hexagonally ordered perpendicular or parallel orientation of PEO cylinders. The solvent annealing parameters such as solvents, temperature, time, and so forth are optimized to achieve the desired patterns. An established BCP in situ inclusion protocol is utilized to achieve the material nanopatterns by spin coating the respective precursor ethanolic solution on the template followed by UV/ozone treatment for oxide conversion and polymer removal. Furthermore, the precursor solution concentrations and stirring times are calibrated to achieve isolated, well-ordered, and uniform-diameter and -thickness nanoparticles and nanowires. All of the material nanopatterns are mimicking the parent BCP nanopatterns. The phases of all of the nanopatterns are determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The inorganic and dielectric nanopattern arrays are patterned on a graphoepitaxial substrate for device application.

SUBMITTER: Ghoshal T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8717533 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:The directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers (BCPs) is a promising low-cost approach to patterning structures with critical dimensions (CDs) which are smaller than can be achieved by traditional photolithography. The CD of contact holes can be reduced by assembling a cylindrical BCP inside a patterned template and utilizing the native size of the cylinder to dictate the reduced dimensions of the hole. This is a particularly promising application of the DSA technique, but in order for this technology to be realized there is a need for three-dimensional metrology of the internal structure of the patterned BCP in order to understand how template properties and processing conditions impact BCP assembly. This is a particularly challenging problem for traditional metrologies owing to the three-dimensional nature of the structure and the buried features. By utilizing small-angle X-ray scattering and changing the angle between the incident beam and sample we can reconstruct the three-dimensional shape profile of the empty template and the residual polymer after self-assembly and removal of one of the phases. A two-dimensional square grid pattern of the holes results in scattering in both in-plane directions, which is simplified by converting to a radial geometry. The shape is then determined by simulating the scattering from a model and iterating that model until the simulated and experimental scattering profiles show a satisfactory match. Samples with two different processing conditions are characterized in order to demonstrate the ability of the technique to evaluate critical features such as residual layer thickness and sidewall height. It was found that the samples had residual layer thicknesses of 15.9 ± 3.2 nm and 4.5 ± 2.2 nm, which were clearly distinguished between the two different DSA processes and in good agreement with focused ion beam scanning transmission electron microscopy (FIBSTEM) observations. The advantage of the X-ray measurements is that FIBSTEM characterizes around ten holes, while there are of the order of 800 000 holes illuminated by the X-ray beam.

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Sub-25 nm Inorganic and Dielectric Nanopattern Arrays on Substrates: A Block Copolymer-Assisted Lithography.

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