Patterning nano-scale patterns on a film comprising unzipping copolymers

US8450043B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Daniel J. Coady · San Jose, US
• Urs T. Duerig · Thalwil, CH
• Jane Elizabeth Frommer · San Jose, US
• Kazuki Fukushima · San Jose, US
• James L. Hedrick · Evanston, US
• Armin W. Knoll · Adliswil, CH

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 30, 2010
• Grant date: May 28, 2013
• Expiry date: Jan 22, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T428/24355
• WIPO field: Surface technology, coating
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for patterning a surface of a material. A substrate having a polymer film thereon is provided. The polymer is a selectively reactive polymer (e.g., thermodynamically unstable): it is able to unzip upon suitable stimulation. A probe is used to create patterns on the film. During the patterning, the film is locally stimulated for unzipping polymer chains. Hence, a basic idea is to provide a stimulus to the polymeric material, which in turn spontaneously decomposes e.g., into volatile constituents. For example, the film is thermally stimulated in order to break a single bond in a polymer chain, which is sufficient to trigger the decomposition of the entire polymer chain.