Block Copolymer Nanostructures Fabrication for Technological Advancements

The use of nanomaterials for the fabrication of different optical, magnetic, chemical, biomedical, and microelectronics devices has received tremendous attention because of lower power consumption, faster response, and higher performance. Due to the small size and precision necessary to make these devices, making nanomaterials with a tunable structure, size, and composition is critical. In our experimental physics laboratory at Illinois State University, we use block copolymers (BCPs) as templates for inorganic deposition methods to fabricate nanostructures with different morphologies. BCPs are a special type of polymer with self-assembling properties to create nanopatterns of distinct characteristics, which can be tuned by adjusting the properties of BCPs, such as the number average molecular weight, and the ratio of the molecular weight. During our study, we have explored a variety of BCPs, including poly(styrene-b-methylmethacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) and polystyrene-block-poly(α-caprolactone) (PS-b-PCL). In our lab, using these nanostructures of BCP as guiding patterns, we fabricate nanopatterns of various inorganic materials. We characterize these nanopatterned structures of BCPs using scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In our presentation, we will focus majorly on the fabrication of the BCP nanostructures which are used as guiding patterns for inorganic deposition and discuss applications of these fabricated nanostructures.