Diversifying the patterning landscape in block copolymer self-assembly

Improvements in ordering kinetics and pattern diversity are needed to make block copolymer directed self-assembly (BCP DSA) a route to cost-effective, large-area nanomanufacturing. This talk will highlight recent research in BCP DSA with these goals in mind. First, I will describe how self-templating in layered BCP thin films produces new 3D pattern symmetries. Second I will show how chemical patterning can be used to locally select between coexisting cylinder and lamellae morphologies in BCP blends. Finally, I will discuss the use of homopolymer plasticizers to accelerate ordering, enabling self-assembly at the > ~100 nm scale relevant for optical dielectric metasurfaces.