Order-to-disorder Behavior of Block Copolymer Films

Block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly in a film geometry has recently been the focus of increased research interest due to their potential use as templates and scaffolds for the fabrication of nanostructured materials. The phase behavior in a thin film geometry that confines polymer chains to the interfaces will be influenced by the interfacial interactions at substrate/polymer and polymer/air and the commensurability between the equilibrium period (L0) of the BCP and the total film thickness. We investigated the phase transitions for the films of block copolymers (BCPs) on the modified surface, like the order-to-disorder transition (ODT) by in-situ grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The selective interactions on the surface by a PS-grafted substrate provide the preferential interactions with the PS component of the block, while a random copolymer (PS-r-PMMA) grafted substrate do the balanced interfacial interactions on the surface. The thickness dependence of order-to-disorder behavior for BCP films will be discussed in terms of the surface interactions.