Visualization of interface effect on the molecular morphology in block copolymer thin films by SVSEM tomography

Applications of block copolymer thin films include their use in lithography, photonics and biomedical devices, and is in large part, due to their internal nanostructures. Thin films are particularly sensitive to surface confinement effects, which on one hand enriches the molecular assembly while on the other hand can produce distortions of the structure from thermodynamically stable symmetries. Here, we study polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine) thin films with different microdomain morphologies (double gyroid, lamella, disordered network). By applying Slice-and-View scanning electron microscopy (SVSEM) tomography, the domain structures, distortions, and defects within the polymer films can be measured over large areas/volumes and the influence of the field of the interface (substrate/film and film/air) on the molecular assembly morphologies examined.