DIRECTED MATERIAL ASSEMBLY

摘要

Methods of directing assembly of materials using a surface-modified substrate are disclosed. A modified surface is created on a substrate by applying a first surface agent to the substrate. Energy is applied to the modified surface to form an imaged surface having an imaged portion and a non-imaged portion. The imaged portion is characterized by a surface energy that is different from the surface energy of the non- imaged portion. For example, the applied energy can remove at least a portion of an attached surface agent from the imaged portion to modify the surface energy. In some preferred embodiments the energy also modifies the surface agent without causing oxidation. To avoid oxidation, for example, the surface modification and/or energy appliement can take place in a low oxygen environment (e.g., having an oxygen content lower than that present in about 0.01 Torr of air). The imaged surface can then be exposed to a self assembling material, such as a block copolymer, such that the surface can direct assembly of the self assembling material by preferential attachment of certain moieties of the block copolymer to imaged or non-imaged portions of the surface in order to form a selected pattern.