Self-Assembled Block Copolymer Thin Films and Their Applications

Dear colleagues,

Using self-assembled block copolymer (BCP) thin films for surface nanopatterning is a promising approach for next-generation nanolithography. Thus, the creation of precise nanostructures from self-organized polymer nanodomains is investigated by academic research groups as well as R&D units of global players in semiconductor and data storage industries. Recently, significant advances have been made in controlling the polymer self-assembly into nanodomains of a particular shape at pre-defined positions and with a long-range order. Such guiding and controlling of the BCP self-assembly process renders this bottom–up technique competitive to conventional top–down lithography techniques, while allowing for a faster processing of large areas at lower costs.

Currently, feature size minimization, nanodomain definition, as well as pattern transfer to inorganic materials are studied intensely to enable full compatibility to semiconductor processing at industrial scale and to pave the way toward innovative novel fields of BCP application.

In this Special Issue, we compile and present recent findings in advancing block copolymer self-assembly to a highest-precision nanolithography technique. The aim is to shine a light on the rapidly developing field of BCP-based lithography. State-of-the-art reviews as well as articles on original novel fundamental and applied research on aspects including, but not limited to, the topics below are welcome in this Special Issue.

Dr. Katharina Brassat
Prof. Dr. Jörg K. N. Lindner
Guest Editors

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