Case 11971

Novel method for controlling self-assembly over ultra-large area substrates and applications in nanofabrication

Keywords:

Self-assembly materials, block copolymer, nanolithography, polymer mask pattern, topographical control, substrate fabrication, interference lithography, antireflection layer post, photoresist pattern

Applications:

Fabricating arrays of nanomagnets with out-of-plane magnetization; storage capacity of magnetic storage systems; single layer films of light-emitting quantum dots

Problem:
  • Need to increase size of ordered grains to resemble a single crystal morphology
  • Need to reduce the concentration of point defects occurring in the ordered grains

Technology:

The novel method described herein facilitates self-assembly of block copolymers (BCP) in thin films over ultra-large area substrates. The approach employs topography on the substrate to confine the block copolymer domains. At the core of the invention lies the basic idea that to control a two-dimensional periodic structure, a two-dimensional array of topographical constraints is needed. This is achieved through substrates comprising a plurality of guiding posts arrayed periodically in 2-D on or in the surface of the substrate, and materials capable of a periodic structure on the substrate that is commensurate with the BCP lattice.

Advantages:

The fabrication process for making substrates allows feature sizes in the sub-50 nm range with uniform control over post shape, size and spacing over ultra-large areas.

Inventors:
  • Professor Caroline Ross(Department of Materials Science and Engineering, MIT)
  • Professor Edwin Thomas(Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT)
  • Professor Karl Berggren (Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT)
  • Ion Bita (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, MIT)
  • Yeon Sik Jung (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, MIT)
  • Joel Yang (Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT)

Intellectual Property:

U.S. Patent filed September 26, 2008

Publications:

Last revised:November 5, 2010

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