Nanopatterning with microdomains of block copolymers using reactive-ion etching selectivity

Block copolymers are known to generate nanoscale microdomains by microphase separation. if they are annealed at a temperature lower than their order-disorder transition temperatures. We attempted to transfer the microdomains onto substrates by only using the reactive-ion etching (RIE) method, which is widely used in semiconductor Manufacturing processes. Block copolymers consisting of an aromatic polymer and an acrylic polymer were used since there is a large difference in the dry-etch resistance, in that only the acrylic polymer was selectively etched by RIE. Furthermore, nanometer-scale dot patterns can be easily obtained on the substrates by the continuous RIE process. Dot patterns of arbitrary diameters could be transferred to silicon wafers. glass substrates and so forth using these materials and processes.