Blending block copolymers (BCP’s) with selectively associating additives (SAA) offers a route towards materials with extremely narrow pitches and small interfacial widths, important properties for lithographic applications. The addition of the SAA results in an increase in the effective Flory-Huggins interaction parameter (χ) between the two components of the BCP. We added poly(vinyl phenol) (PVPH) to polystyrene-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA), where the PVPH hydrogen bonds to the PMMA block, and made multilayers of the blends. We studied these multilayers with resonant soft x-ray reflectivity (RSoXR) to determine the change in interfacial width and the distribution of the PVPH throughout the PMMA block. Using soft x-rays allowed us to vary the contrast around the carbon and oxygen resonant edges and determine the composition profile of each component in the blend. Additionally small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and FTIR measurements were conducted on bulk samples, where the PS-b-PMMA used was initially disordered, enabling us to characterize the impact of the additive on the morphology and to directly calculate χ for all of the components in the system.

Characterizing the distribution and thermodynamics of selectively associating additives in polymer blends

249th National Meeting (2015)

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