Text preview for : 5991-3251EN Vapor Annealing Effect on Copolymers Studied by 7500 AFM with Environmental Control-Appl part of
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Vapor Annealing Effect on Copolymers
Studied by 7500 Atomic Force Microscopy
with Environmental Control
Application Brief
Topography Introduction 7500 AFM system is comprised of a
sealed environmental chamber. The
Microphase separation is a ubiquitous desired vapor can be realized readily
phenomenon in copolymer thin ilms by putting a small vial of corresponding
due to the immiscibility and dissimilar solution into the chamber. In this appli-
nature of their block components. Such cation brief, results on an atomic force
segregations could occur in directions microscopy (AFM)-based investigations
both perpendicular and parallel to on the annealing effect on triblock
the underlying support substrate. In copolymer PS-b-PB-b-PS (SBS) will be
particular, the latter case will expose presented.
all of polymer components to the air/
polymer interface and form periodic AFM Structural
microdomains consisting with distinc-
tive chemical identities. The spatial dis- Characterization of the
Phase tribution (i.e.; their geometry, spacing Triblock Copolymer
as well as patterning) of the compo-
nents play an extremely important role SBS without Annealing
in the chemical and physical properties
of polymers. The initial triblock copolymer SBS
samples were prepared by spin-casting
Polymer annealing offers an effective of their 10mg/ml solution in toluene
means to tune and regulate those com- onto a smooth silicon substrate at
ponent domains. Generally, annealing room temperature and under ambi-
can be introduced by heating the copo- ent conditions. Figure 1 are both AFM
lymer ilms well above their transition topography and corresponding phase
temperatures (Tg) to obtain enhanced images of the normal SBS copolymer
microphase separations. However, such without any annealing. Compositional
Figure 1. AFM topography and corresponding
thermal annealing could induce some mapping with AFM is often used for
phase images of copolymer PS-b-PB-b-PS
heating-related issues (unexpected observations of microphase separa-
without annealing. Scan size: 2