Premium
Structural investigation of thin diblock copolymer films using time‐of‐flight grazing‐incidence small‐angle neutron scattering
Author(s) -
Metwalli Ezzeldin,
Moulin JeanFrancois,
Rauscher Markus,
Kaune Gunar,
Ruderer Matthias A.,
Van Bürck Uwe,
HaeseSeiller Martin,
Kampmann Reinhard,
MüllerBuschbaum Peter
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of applied crystallography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.429
H-Index - 162
ISSN - 1600-5767
DOI - 10.1107/s0021889810046194
Subject(s) - materials science , copolymer , lamellar structure , polymer , polystyrene , scattering , grazing incidence small angle scattering , small angle neutron scattering , surface energy , substrate (aquarium) , neutron scattering , thin film , composite material , small angle x ray scattering , morphology (biology) , optics , nanotechnology , oceanography , physics , biology , genetics , geology
The depth‐dependent morphology of the microphase separation structure in thin block copolymer films is examined using non‐destructive time‐of‐flight grazing‐incidence small‐angle neutron scattering. The structure of a cylinder‐forming diblock copolymer, polystyrene(deuterated)‐ block ‐polyisoprene, in contact with either a low‐ or a high‐energy substrate surface is investigated. A systematic identification of the components of the polymer film at different depths is achieved by utilizing the material characteristic Yoneda peak. For the polymer film attached to the low‐surface‐energy aminosilane‐coated substrate, a morphology transition from lamellar at the substrate–polymer interface, via perforated lamellar in the film bulk, to an ill‐defined structure at the polymer–air interface is observed. This phase transition along the film normal is due to the competition between the surface‐induced morphological changes and the stable cylindrical bulk morphology of the diblock copolymer. In contrast, on the high‐energy surface no pronounced ordering is found for the applied conditions.