Directed Self-Assembly of Nanocomposite Materials Mediated by Nanoimprint Lithography

Elisheva Michman, Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Mark Schvartzman, Materials Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
Meirav Oded, Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Ernesto Joselevich, Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rechovot, Israel
Roy Shenhar, Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

Co-assembly of block copolymers and nanoparticles in composite thin films has become a leading bottom-up method of nanoparticle organization for functional devices. The effects of nanoparticle size, surface chemistry, and filling fraction on the location of nanoparticles within block copolymer domains is the subject of considerable ongoing investigation. However, the block copolymer films in most of these studies lack the long-range order required for various technological applications. Directed self-assembly, incorporating lithographic techniques, can be used to give long range order to block copolymer films, but the directed self-assembly of nanocomposite films is almost completely unexplored until now.

The poster will discuss our progress in directing the self-assembly of poly(styrene-block-methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) block copolymers with gold nanoparticles in composite thin films. Flat substrates with chemical patterning and topographically patterned silicon substrates can be prepared using inexpensive nanoimprint lithography (NIL), demonstrating the application of NIL technology in the preparation of hierarchical nanocomposite films.