Next-generation Lithography - Photo-directing Assembly of Block Copolymers (2018-2022)
Abstract
Chemo-epitaxy is the science of organising materials on a surface decorated with chemical patterns. The process has the potential to revolutionise the manufacture of integrated circuits, enabling faster processors. This project introduces a novel approach to organising block polymers through the photochemical modification of the surface of a photo-sensitive polymer. Two innovative approaches are introduced, one based on a photo-rearrangement reaction, and the other on photo-radical trapping. Block co-polymers capable of being ordered will be prepared and their arrangement on the chemical patterns examined. In addition to a direct technical application, the project will greatly expand our knowledge of the interfacial science of polymers.
