High Aspect Ratio PS‑b‑PMMA Block Copolymer Masks for Lithographic Applications

The control of the self-assembly (SA) process and nanostructure orientation in diblock copolymer (DBC) thick films is a crucial technological issue. Perpendicular orientation of the nanostructures in symmetric and asymmetric poly(styrene)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) block copolymer films obtained by means of simple thermal treatments was demonstrated to occur in well-defined thickness windows featuring modest maximum values, thus resulting in low aspect ratio (h/d < 2) of the final lithographic mask. In this manuscript, the thickness window corresponding to the perpendicular orientation of the cylindrical structures in asymmetric DBC is investigated at high temperatures (190 °C