Directed Self-Assembly: Expectations and Achievements

Abstract

Nanotechnology has been a revolutionary thrust in recent years of development of science and technology for its broad appeal for employing a novel idea for relevant technological applications in particular and for mass-scale production and marketing as common man commodity in general. An interesting aspect of this emergent technology is that it involves scientific research community and relevant industries alike. Top–down and bottom–up approaches are two broad division of production of nanoscale materials in general. However, both the approaches have their own limits as far as large-scale production and cost involved are concerned. Therefore, novel new techniques are desired to be developed to optimize production and cost. Directed self-assembly seems to be a promising technique in this regard; which can work as a bridge between the top–down and bottom–up approaches. This article reviews how directed self-assembly as a technique has grown up and outlines its future prospects.

Self organization of magnetic nanoparticles: A polarized grazing incidence small angle neutron scattering and grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering study

“…Since the evaporation-induced assembly is a complex, nonequilibrium process requiring precise control of numerous factors, high surface roughnesses and a lack of ordering may result. 21 Another possibility for the preparation of wide range assemblies is the spin-coating process that allows for uniform distribution of the nanoparticles and controllable density of the layers. The spin coating method was used to prepare wide areas of ordered mono-and multilayer assemblies of FeOnanoparticles, as shown in Figs the 20 nm oleic acid stabilized FeO-nanoparticles is clearly reduced.…”

Soft Graphoepitaxy for Large Area Directed Self‐Assembly of Polystyrene‐block‐Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Block Copolymer on Nanopatterned POSS Substrates Fabricated by Nanoimprint Lithography

“…In top‐down methodologies further downsizing is governed by issues such as light particle dimensions and thermal management. On the other hand, it is highly challenging to achieve long‐range translational order and structural robustness of the fabricated systems with bottom‐up approaches …”

On the origin of self-organization of SiO2 nanodots deposited by CVD enhanced by atmospheric pressure remote microplasma

“…Self-organization and patterning of surfaces have been attempted in many ways recently [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. For instance, excimer laser irradiation at ambient temperature has been employed successfully to produce nanostructured silicon surfaces [11].…”

“…Self-assembly may occur spontaneously but may also be driven by various means like physical, chemical or biological templates, or induced by fields like pressure gradient, electric field, magnetic field, light, laser, etc. [12][13][14] The need for a better understanding of fundamental physical phenomena governing the synthesis of nanostructures on surfaces submitted to plasmas has recently motivated basic researches [19][20][21][22]. These latter works could provide clear explanations of underlying phenomena governing the growth of organized nanostructures on surfaces.…”