Macromolecules, Vol.43, No.12, 5352-5357, 2010
Micropatterns of Hierarchical Self-Assembled Block Copolymer Droplets with Solvent-Assisted Wetting of Brush Monolayers
We present a method to fabricate micropatterns of a self-assembled block copolymer droplets with hierarchically ordered nanostructures by controlling solvent-assisted wetting of the droplets. This method is based on transfer-printing the micropatterned dewetted droplets formed onto a topographic poly(dimethylsiloxane) prepattern to a silicon wafer, followed by wetting triggered by solvent annealing. Solvent vapor provides sufficient mobility of block copolymer molecules in convex-shaped micropatterns and allows for controlling the 2D circular spread of the similar to 7 nm thick brush monolayer, resulting in a novel structure hierarchically terraced with ordered spherical microdomains in the individual block copolymer droplets. Our micropatterning technique capable of controlling both shape and microstructure of individual droplets also enables us to produce a novel polarity tunable surface since contact angle of a water droplet is easily tailored as a function of solvent annealing time on micropatterns.