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Heeger, Robert; Musschenga, Albert

doi:10.1023/a:1011454118579

Cited by 1 publication

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“…Electrically conducting conjugated polymers are attracting much interest due to their potential applications in new electrooptic devices such as inexpensive and flexible LEDs, transistors, and photovoltaic cells. − Producing phase-separated structures of these polymers with controlled size and shape on the nanoscale constitutes a promising approach in the fields of organic photovoltaics and molecular electronics. − One nonlithographic approach to achieve such nanostructures is offered by the synthesis of block copolymers including at least one conjugated sequence. Block copolymers have the ability to self-assemble into a series of periodic microdomains with a 10−100 nm period through microphase separation in the solid state or micellization in solution. − Their morphology can be adjusted by changing the chemical structures of the constituting blocks as well as their conformational properties and composition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determination of the Ordered Structure in Conjugated-Coil Diblock Copolymers Films from a Thickness Gradient Prepared by Spin-Coated Drop Technique

et al. 2009

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Investigating the thickness dependence of ordered structure of thin films of electrically conducting conjugated polymers with nano-ordered morphologies is essential for optimizing their applications in advanced electrooptic devices. We demonstrate here that by spin-coating a small drop of a conjugated-coil diblock copolymer, a thickness gradient varying between tens of nanometers to a few micrometers is formed at the drop rim. Compared to other widely used solution casting methods for the preparation of thickness gradients, the spin-coated drop technique produces film gradients with thickness in the interesting range for most applications in an extremely short preparation time. Using a submicrometersized X-ray beam and a scanning technique, spatial mappings of the gradient area are obtained with submicrometer grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (sub-μGISAXS) for the first time. Investigating the thickness gradient with sub-μGISAXS has the advantage of saving the preparations and investigations of many samples each with a certain thickness under identical conditions. As a model system, we use the diblock copolymer polystyrene-block-poly( p-phenylene) with a thickness gradient ranging between 80 and 2280 nm. Detailed analysis of the scattering patterns at selected positions along the gradient identifies a regime of lateral order within a thickness range of 80-210 nm.

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