Block Copolymer Self Assembly for Design and Vapor Phase Synthesis of One-Dimensional Nanostructured Materials

Block copolymer thin films provide a robust method for generating regular, uniform patterns with sub-100 nanometer length scales over arbitrarily large areas. A significant advantage of such block copolymer-based patterning is its ease of integration with all other aspects of traditional thin-film processing, including plasma-based etching and metallization. Such process compatibility ensures a host of application opportunities in designing material properties through control of their nanostructure. Here, we describe our use of block copolymer self assembly for design and vapor phase synthesis of quasi one-dimensional nanostructured materials made of metals, semiconductors, and insulators. The precise control of surface texture afforded by block copolymer-based patterning can influence macroscopic materials properties such as optical reflectance and hydrophobicity.