Block Copolymer Vertical Orientation via Oxygen Plasma Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for manufacturing patterned substrates using block copolymers face challenges in achieving vertical orientation without neutral surface treatment, which limits the efficiency and control of nanostructure formation.
Innovation Solution
The method involves oxygen plasma treatment of the substrate to induce vertical orientation of block copolymers, allowing for the formation of self-assembled structures like lamellar patterns without the need for a neutral brush layer, and controlling the block copolymer's molecular weight and relative ratios to achieve desired nano-scale structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional methods are used to achieve vertical orientation of block copolymers, then neutral surface treatment is required, but this increases device complexity and reduces manufacturing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the neutral brush layer from the system by using oxygen plasma treatment on the substrate surface instead. This extraction eliminates the intermediate layer while achieving the same vertical orientation effect through direct plasma-induced surface modification
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the surface energy parameters of the substrate through oxygen plasma treatment. This parameter change creates a high-energy surface that induces vertical orientation of block copolymers without requiring a neutral brush layer, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining manufacturing precision
2Manufacturing precision
If neutral surface treatment is applied, then vertical orientation can be achieved, but this increases the number of process steps and reduces productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the substrate treatment and block copolymer orientation induction into a single step by using oxygen plasma treatment. This merging eliminates the separate neutral brush layer deposition step, reducing the number of process steps while maintaining vertical orientation precision and improving productivity
3Ease of manufacture
If block copolymer self-assembly is performed without plasma treatment, then the process is simpler, but vertical orientation cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary oxygen plasma treatment on the substrate surface before block copolymer deposition. This preliminary action modifies the substrate surface energy to induce vertical orientation, achieving both process simplicity and manufacturing precision by preparing the surface in advance
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables efficient and controlled vertical orientation of block copolymers on substrates, facilitating the formation of precise nanostructures suitable for applications in electronic devices and integrated circuits.
Implementation Method 1
a surface of the substrate on which the layer of the directed self-assembly material is an oxygen plasma-treated surface
Implementation Method 2
The block copolymer may form a periodically arranged structure such as a sphere, a cylinder or a lamella through phase separation
Implementation Method 3
since a plurality of substrates are polar and the air is non-polar, among blocks of the block copolymer, a block having a higher polarity is wetted on a substrate
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a method of manufacturing a patterned substrate. The method may be applied to a process of manufacturing a device such as an electronic device or integrated circuit, or another use, for example, to manufacture an integrated optical system, a guidance and detection pattern of a magnetic domain memory, a flat panel display, a LCD, a thin film magnetic head or an organic light emitting diode, and used to construct a pattern on a surface to be used to manufacture a discrete tract medium such as an integrated circuit, a bit-patterned medium and/or a magnetic storage device such as a hard drive.