Nanopatterns by phase separation of patterned mixed polymer monolayers

DWPI Title: Directing self-assembly of mixed polymer brush, by patterning region of substrate with first initiator to provide patterned region and unpatterned region, grafting first and second polymers, attaching second initiator, and annealing
Abstract: Micron-size and sub-micron-size patterns on a substrate can direct the self-assembly of surface-bonded mixed polymer brushes to create nanoscale patterns in the phase-separated mixed polymer brush. The larger scale features, or patterns, can be defined by a variety of lithographic techniques, as well as other physical and chemical processes including but not limited to etching, grinding, and polishing. The polymer brushes preferably comprise vinyl polymers, such as polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate).
Use: The method is useful for directing a self-assembly of a mixed polymer brush (claimed).
Advantage: The method is capable of simply directing the self-assembly of the mixed polymer brush with improved wettability, surface friction, and biocompatibility.
Novelty: The method comprises: patterning a region (42) of a substrate (40) with an attached first initiator (41) to provide a patterned region and an unpatterned region (46); grafting a first polymer (43) to the patterned region; attaching a second initiator to the unpatterned region; grafting a second polymer to the unpatterned region and the patterned region to form a uniform brush in the unpatterned region and a mixed polymer brush in the patterned region; and annealing the grafted polymers to provide a phase-separated patterned region.
Filed: 1/30/2012
Application Number: US13361228A
Tech ID: SD 11812.1
This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
Data from Derwent World Patents Index, provided by Clarivate
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