Cyclic Block Copolymers for Controlling Feature Sizes in Block Copolymer Lithography

Block copolymer lithography holds promise as a next-generation technique to achieve the sub-20 nm feature sizes demanded by semiconductor roadmaps. While molecular weight and block immiscibility have traditionally been used to control feature size, this study demonstrates that macromolecular architecture is also a powerful tool for tuning domain spacing. To demonstrate this concept, a new synthetic strategy for cyclic block polymers based on highly efficient "click" coupling of difunctional linear chains is developed, and the thin film self-assembly of cyclic polystyrene-block-polyethylene oxide (cPS-b-PEO) is compared with the corresponding linear analogues. The reduced hydrodynamic radii of the cyclic systems result in ~30% decrease in domain spacing over the corresponding linear polymers.