Methods for aligning polymer films and related structures

1. A method, comprising:

applying a solution comprising two or more immiscible polymers to a substructure disposed on an exterior surface of a substrate, said exterior surface of the substrate having surface properties, said substructure comprising at least one feature having at least one sidewall and an adjoining bottom surface, said two or more immiscible polymers comprising a first polymer and a second polymer, said at least one sidewall comprising a first material, a selective chemical affinity of said first polymer for said first material being greater than a selective chemical affinity of said second polymer for said first material;

segregating said first polymer from said second polymer, said first polymer selectively segregating to said at least one sidewall of said at least one feature, resulting in said first polymer being disposed between said sidewall and said second polymer to form a polymer segregation pattern in which said first polymer and said second polymer are distributed in a direction that is perpendicular to each sidewall of said at least one sidewall, wherein said first polymer and said second polymer have a same chemical affinity for the exterior surface of the substrate; and

after said segregating, removing selectively one or more immiscible polymers of said two or more immiscible polymers, at least one immiscible polymer of said two or more immiscible polymers remaining on said substrate after said removing, resulting in forming structures on said substrate, said structures comprising said substructure and said at least one immiscible polymer remaining.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises forming said substructure on said substrate by a process selected from the group consisting of patterning a photoresist, patterning a polymer, patterning an inorganic material, etching, chemical vapor deposition, sputtering, atomic layer deposition, coating, and chemical attachment.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said two or more immiscible polymers further comprises a third polymer selected from the group consisting of homopolymers, block copolymers, grafted copolymers, and random copolymers.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said solution further comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of photosensitive acid generators, surfactants, base quenchers, nanoparticles, metal compounds, inorganic compounds, and solvents.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said one or more immiscible polymers of said two or more immiscible polymers comprises said second polymer, resulting in said first polymer remaining against said at least one sidewall and reducing a dimension of said feature.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said one or more immiscible polymers of said two or more immiscible polymers comprises said first polymer, resulting in formation of a space between said at least one sidewall and said second polymer remaining.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said removing is selected from the group consisting of developing, dissolving in solvent, and plasma etching, wherein said applying the solution comprises forming a film of the two or more immiscible polymers on the substrate, and wherein the method further comprises:

after said forming the film, annealing said film to induce said segregating.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first polymer, the second polymer, or both the first polymer and the second polymer is selected from the group consisting of cellulose, poly(acrylamide), polyethyleneimine, poly(acrylic acid), poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline), poly(ethyleneoxide), and poly(vinyl alcohol), novolac resins, cresol resins, poly(hydroxystyrene), poly(acrylic acid), poly(styrene sulfonic acid), poly(vinyl phosphoric acid), poly(vinyl sulfonic acid), poly(2-sulfoethyl methacrylate), poly(2-sulfopropyldimethyl-3-methacrylamide), poly(1,1,1-trifluoro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-2-hydroxy-pentan-4-ylmethacrylate), fluoroalcohol-based polymers, poly(2-ethyl-trifluoromethanesulfonamide methacrylate), acidic sulfonamide polymers, poly(hydroxyadamantyl methacrylate), poly(isobornyl methacrylate), poly(phenyl methacrylate), poly(vinyl naphthalene), polysiloxanes, polymethylsilsesquioxanes, polycarbosilanes, poly(vinyl ferrocene), poly(acylonitrile), poly(caprolactone), poly(lactide), poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), poly(gamma-butyrolactone methacrylate), poly(tetrahydrofuranyl methacrylate), poly(tetrahydropyranyl methacrylate), poly(allyl amine), poly(4-aminostyrene), poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate), polyethyleneneimine, poly(N-methylvinylamine), poly(vinyl pyridine), poly(isoprene), poly(butadiene), poly(nobornene), poly(ethylene), poly(propylene), poly(1,1,1-trifluoro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-2-hydroxy-pentan-4-yl methacrylate), fluoroalcohol-based polymers, poly(2-ethyl-trifluoromethanesulfonamide methacrylate), acidic fluorosulfonamide polymers, poly(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate), poly(hexafluoroisopropyl methacrylate), poly(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorostyrene), and substituted derivatives thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution comprises a polymer blend consisting essentially of the two or more immiscible polymers.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution comprises a polymer blend consisting of the two or more immiscible polymers.

11. A material alignment method, comprising:

forming a composition comprising a first immiscible polymer and a second immiscible polymer, wherein a totality of immiscible polymers in the composition consists of the first immiscible polymer and the second immiscible polymer;

forming a film of said composition on a topographically patterned surface of a substrate, said surface having a plurality of features disposed thereon, each feature of said plurality of features having at least one sidewall essentially perpendicular to said surface, said at least one sidewall comprising a first material, said first immiscible polymer having a selective chemical affinity for said first material greater than a selective chemical affinity of said second immiscible polymer for said first material; and

segregating selectively said first immiscible polymer to said at least one sidewall, said segregating resulting in excluding by said first immiscible polymer said second immiscible polymer from said at least one sidewall, resulting in said first immiscible polymer forming a first layer conforming to said at least one sidewall, said second immiscible polymer forming a second layer conforming to said first layer, said first layer disposed between said at least one sidewall and said second layer, resulting in formation of a polymer segregation pattern in which said first layer formed of said first immiscible polymer and said second layer formed of said second immiscible polymer are distributed in a direction that is perpendicular to each sidewall of said at least one sidewall.

12. The method of claim 11 , said method further comprising annealing said film, wherein said annealing is selected from the group consisting of thermal annealing, solvent vapor annealing, zone annealing, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said composition comprises a third material, wherein said third material is miscible with both said first immiscible polymer and said second immiscible polymer, said third material selected from the group consisting of block copolymers, grafted copolymers, and random copolymers.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein said first and second immiscible polymers are each selected from the group consisting of cellulose, poly(acrylamide), polyethyleneimine, poly(acrylic acid), poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline), poly(ethyleneoxide), and poly(vinyl alcohol), novolac resins, cresol resins, poly(hydroxystyrene), poly(acrylic acid), poly(styrene sulfonic acid), poly(vinyl phosphoric acid), poly(vinyl sulfonic acid), poly(2-sulfoethyl methacrylate), poly(2-sulfopropyldimethyl-3-methacrylamide), poly(1,1,1-trifluoro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-2-hydroxy-pentan-4-ylmethacrylate), fluoroalcohol-based polymers, poly(2-ethyl-trifluoromethanesulfonamide methacrylate), acidic sulfonamide polymers, poly(styrene), poly(hydroxyadamantyl methacrylate), poly(isobornyl methacrylate), poly(phenyl methacrylate), poly(vinyl naphthalene), polysiloxanes, polymethylsilsesquioxanes, polycarbosilanes, poly(vinyl ferrocene), poly(acylonitrile), poly(caprolactone), poly(lactide), poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), poly(gamma-butyrolactone methacrylate), poly(tetrahydrofuranyl methacrylate), poly(tetrahydropyranyl methacrylate), poly(allyl amine), poly(4-aminostyrene), poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate), polyethyleneneimine, poly(N-methylvinylamine), poly(vinyl pyridine), poly(isoprene), poly(butadiene), poly(nobornene), poly(ethylene), poly(propylene), poly(1,1,1-trifluoro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-2-hydroxy-pentan-4-ylmethacrylate), fluoroalcohol-based polymers, poly(2-ethyl-trifluoromethanesulfonamide methacrylate), acidic fluorosulfonamide polymers, poly(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate), poly(hexafluoroisopropyl methacrylate), poly(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorostyrene), and substituted derivatives thereof.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first immiscible polymer, the second immiscible polymer, or both the first immiscible polymer and the second immiscible polymer is selected from the group consisting of cellulose, poly(acrylamide), polyethyleneimine, poly(acrylic acid), poly(-ethyl-2-oxazoline), poly(ethyleneoxide), and poly(vinyl alcohol), novolac resins, cresol resins, poly(hydroxystyrene), poly(acrylic acid), poly(styrene sulfonic acid), poly(vinyl phosphoric acid), poly(vinyl sulfonic acid), poly(-sulfoethyl methacrylate), poly(2-sulfopropyldimethyl-3-methacrylamide), poly(1,1,1-trifluoro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-2-hydroxy-pentan-4-ylmethacrylate), fluoroalcohol-based polymers, poly(-ethyl-trifluoromethanesulfonamide methacrylate), acidic sulfonamide polymers, poly(hydroxyadamantyl methacrylate), poly(isobornyl methacrylate), poly(phenyl methacrylate), poly(vinyl naphthalene), polysiloxanes, polymethylsilsesquioxanes, polycarbosilanes, poly(vinyl ferrocene), poly(acylonitrile), poly(caprolactone), poly(lactide), poly(-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), poly(gamma-butyrolactone methacrylate), poly(tetrahydrofuranyl methacrylate), poly(tetrahydropyranyl methacrylate), poly(allyl amine), poly(-aminostyrene), poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate), polyethyleneneimine, poly(N-methylvinylamine), poly(vinyl pyridine), poly(isoprene), poly(butadiene), poly(nobornene), poly(ethylene), poly(propylene), poly(1,1,1-trifluoro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-2-hydroxy-pentan-4-ylmethacrylate), fluoroalcohol-based polymers, poly(2-ethyl-trifluoromethanesulfonamide methacrylate), acidic fluorosulfonamide polymers, poly(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate), poly(hexafluoroisopropyl methacrylate), poly(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorostyrene), and substituted derivatives thereof.

16. A method of forming controlled polymer patterns, comprising:

forming a material layer of a polymer blend on a surface of a topographically patterned substrate comprising prepatterned features separated by a bottom surface, said polymer blend comprising two immiscible polymers identified as polymer A and polymer B, sidewalls of said features having a composition different from a composition of said bottom surface, wherein a totality of immiscible polymers in the polymer blend consists of polymer A and polymer B;

forming a segregating film on said topographically patterned substrate, wherein components in said material layer laterally segregate in accordance with the patterned substrate, and wherein polymer A preferentially segregates next to said sidewalls and polymer B preferentially segregates to a center region between said features, said formed segregation film comprising a polymer segregation pattern in which polymer A and polymer B are distributed in a direction that is perpendicular to said sidewalls; and

selectively removing polymer A or polymer B from said segregated film.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein polymer B is selectively removed with or without removing said features and without removing polymer A.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein polymer A is selectively removed without removing said features and without removing polymer B.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein polymer A, polymer B, or both polymer A and polymer B is selected from the group consisting of cellulose, poly(acrylamide), polyethyleneimine, poly(acrylic acid), poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline), poly(ethyleneoxide), and poly(vinyl alcohol), novolac resins, cresol resins, poly(hydroxystyrene), poly(acrylic acid), poly(styrene sulfonic acid), poly(vinyl phosphoric acid), poly(vinyl sulfonic acid), poly(2-sulfoethyl methacrylate), poly(2-sulfopropyldimethyl-3-methacrylamide), poly(1,1,1-trifluoro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-2-hydroxy-pentan-4-ylmethacrylate), fluoroalcohol-based polymers, poly(2-ethyl-trifluoromethanesulfonamide methacrylate), acidic sulfonamide polymers, poly(hydroxyadamantyl methacrylate), poly(isobornyl methacrylate), poly(phenyl methacrylate), poly(vinyl naphthalene), polysiloxanes, polymethylsilsesquioxanes, polycarbosilanes, poly(vinyl ferrocene), poly(acylonitrile), poly(caprolactone), poly(lactide), poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), poly(gamma-butyrolactone methacrylate), poly(tetrahydrofuranyl methacrylate), poly(tetrahydropyranyl methacrylate), poly(allyl amine), poly(4-aminostyrene), poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate), polyethyleneneimine, poly(N-methylvinylamine), poly(vinyl pyridine), poly(isoprene), poly(butadiene), poly(nobornene), poly(ethylene), poly(propylene), poly(1,1,1-trifluoro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-2-hydroxy-pentan-4-ylmethacrylate), fluoroalcohol-based polymers, poly(2-ethyl-trifluoromethanesulfonamide methacrylate), acidic fluorosulfonamide polymers, poly(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate), poly(hexafluoroisopropyl methacrylate), poly(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorostyrene), and substituted derivatives thereof.