# US 8,784,966 B2 · Method of forming a material having a predefined morphology

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- Number: US 8,784,966 B2
- Document ID: US8784966B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/950,453
- Filed: 2007-12-05
- Published: 2008-05-15
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2005-03-11
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: Jennifer Nam Cha; James Lupton Hedrick; Ho-Cheol Kim; Robert Dennis Miller; Willi Volksen
- Inventors: Jennifer Nam Cha; James Lupton Hedrick; Ho-Cheol Kim; Robert Dennis Miller; Willi Volksen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8784966B2

## CPC

- C08L 101/12: characterised by physical features, e.g. anisotropy, viscosity or electrical conductivity (liquid crystal materials or compositions C09K19/00)
- C08L 53/00: Compositions of block copolymers containing at least one sequence of a polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
- G03F 7/0002: {Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping}
- Y10T 428/24: Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.]
- Y10T 428/2495: Thickness [relative or absolute]
- Y10T 428/24975: No layer or component greater than 5 mils thick
- Y10T 428/249921: Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component
- Y10T 428/249953: Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
- Y10T 428/249958: Void-containing component is synthetic resin or natural rubbers
- Y10T 428/249975: Void shape specified [e.g., crushed, flat, round, etc.]
- Y10T 428/249978: Voids specified as micro
- Y10T 428/249979: Specified thickness of void-containing component [absolute or relative] or numerical cell dimension
- Y10T 428/24998: Composite has more than two layers
- Y10T 428/25: Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
- Y10T 428/26: Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component, the element or component having a specified physical dimension
- Y10T 428/31504: Composite [nonstructural laminate]
- Y10T 428/31511: Of epoxy ether
- Y10T 428/31612: As silicone, silane or siloxane
- Y10T 428/31663: As siloxane, silicone or silane
- Y10T 428/31931: Polyene monomer-containing
- Y10T 428/31935: Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer
- Y10T 428/31938: Polymer of monoethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A method of forming a material. A self-assembling block copolymer that includes a first block species and a second block species respectively characterized by a volume fraction of F1 and F2 with respect to the self-assembling block copolymer is provided. At least one crosslinkable polymer that is miscible with the second block species is provided. The self-assembling block copolymer and the at least one crosslinkable polymer are combined to form a mixture. The mixture having a volume fraction, F3, of the crosslinkable polymer, a volume fraction, F1A, of the first block species, and a volume fraction, F2A, of the second block species is formed. A material having a predefined morphology where the sum of F2A and F3 were preselected is formed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of forming a material, said method comprising:
combining a self-assembling block copolymer with a crosslinkable polymer to form a mixture, said self-assembling block copolymer including a first block species and a second block species respectively characterized by a volume fraction of F1 and F2 with respect to said self-assembling block copolymer, said crosslinkable polymer being selectively miscible with said second block species and having a volume fraction F3 in said mixture, said first and said second block species respectively having a volume fraction of F1A and F2A in said mixture;
processing said mixture to form a material;
prior to said combining:
providing a tangible data collection comprising data in which each morphology of a plurality of morphologies and a range of (F2A+F3) of a plurality of ranges of (F2A+F3) are associated with each other, wherein (F2A+F3) denotes a sum of F2A and F3, wherein said data has a characteristic that a performance of said combining and said processing using a value of (F2A+F3) in any range of (F2A+F3) of the plurality of ranges of (F2A+F3) in the data collection forms a material having the morphology associated with said any range of (F2A+F3) in the data collection, and wherein the plurality of morphologies in the data collection comprises a morphology of spherical nanopores whose associated range of (F2A+F3) is from about 0.82 to about 0.94, a morphology of cylindrical nanopores whose associated range of (F2A+F3) is from about 0.70 to about 0.80, and a morphology of nanolamellae whose associated range of (F2A+F3) is from 0.60 to about 0.65;
selecting from the tangible data collection the range of (F2A+F3) associated with a predefined morphology selected from the group consisting of the morphology of spherical nanopores, the morphology of cylindrical nanopores, and the morphology of nanolamellae; and
preselecting (F2A+F3) from the selected range of (F2A+F3);
wherein said processing comprises:
applying the mixture onto a substrate forming a mixture coated substrate comprising a layer of the mixture on the substrate; and
processing the mixture coated substrate to form said material in direct mechanical contact with the substrate, wherein the material is derived from the layer of the mixture and comprises a structural layer and an interfacial layer, wherein the structural layer comprises nanostructures having the predefined morphology and being surrounded by the crosslinkable polymer, wherein the interfacial layer lacks nanostructures and comprises the crosslinkable polymer, wherein the interfacial layer has a first thickness less than a second thickness of the structural layer, wherein the first thickness and the second thickness are each measured in a direction normal to an interface between the interfacial layer and the substrate, wherein a ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness is in a range from about 0.007 to about 0.6, wherein the first thickness is in a range from about 2 nm to about 30 nm, wherein the second thickness is in a range from about 50 nm to about 300 nm.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the interfacial layer consists essentially of the crosslinkable polymer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said self-assembling block copolymer includes polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-PEO), and wherein said crosslinkable polymer includes poly(methylsilsesquioxane) (PMSSQ).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein prior to said combining, said method further comprises:
selecting said self-assembling block copolymer and said crosslinkable polymer such that said crosslinkable polymer is selectively miscible with said second block species.