Investigating Sequential Vapor Infiltration Synthesis on Block-Copolymer-Templated Titania Nanoarrays

Abstract

Sequential vapor infiltration synthesis (SVIS) within block-copolymer templates has emerged as an attractive means for the controlled formation of metal oxide nanoarrays on arbitrary substrates. This approach takes advantage of the molecular-level controls that are inherent in the production of the template and the exposure tools that are available for the vapor-phase growth of materials. To take adequate advantage of these controls and their dependencies on any environmental factors, it is essential to understand the mechanisms that govern nanostructure morphology at different stages of the growth process. To this end, this work correlates the evolution of the internal structure with the chemical functionality of block-copolymer templates in response to different conditions of exposure to volatile titania precursors. The evolution is followed by mapping structural and functional information at lateral and vertical resolutions down to a few nanometers through a combination of electron microscopies [scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cross sections], X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS).

Preserving nanoscale features in polymers during laser induced graphene formation using sequential infiltration synthesis

“…Similar to atomic layer deposition (ALD), SIS involves the sequential exposure of a material to alternating vapors of a reactive organometallic precursor and a counter reactant 24,25 . While ALD is performed on a non-porous substrate to grow inorganic films 26 , SIS is performed on polymers, where the diffusion of reactants into the polymer can change its chemical and mechanical properties, increasing its tensile strength 27 , changing its permeability to certain molecules 28 , improving its conductivity 29 , or allowing it to maintain its structure during annealing [30][31][32][33] . ALD, and similar techniques like SIS, have been widely and safely used for decades, both in industry and academic research 34 .…”

Recent Advances in Sequential Infiltration Synthesis (SIS) of Block Copolymers (BCPs)

“…These are by far the most commonly utilized techniques for the dimensional characterization of nanomaterials, requiring simple calibration of the magnification using calibration samples with features in the same dimensional range as the analyzed ones [ 57 ]. Electron microscopy has been widely reported for the morphological characterization of block copolymers nanopatterns or polymeric films treated with SIS of inorganic compounds [ 31 , 35 , 51 , 56 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 ]. Electron microscopy is often complemented by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy.…”

Nanoplasmonic Arrays with High Spatial Resolutions, Quality, and Throughput for Quantitative Detection of Molecular Analytes

“…We had earlier shown a high degree of control over the incorporation of the organometallic precursor by using atomic layer deposition, with the resulting oxide nanostructures enabling nanolithography down to sub-10 nm regime [35]. This was followed by several other investigations in literature focusing on vapor phase incorporation of metal-organic precursors within different block copolymer DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89064 domains using ALD processes [87][88][89][90][91]. It is important that the nanolithography process is optimized to not widen standard deviations between the features or across the wafer.…”