Abstract
The stability of thin diblock copolymer films with respect to the annealing above the microphase separation temperature is investigated on long time scales and at different film thicknesses. Poly(styrene-block-p-methylstyrene) diblock copolymer films on top of silicon substrates are examined with scanning force microscopy and off-specular X-ray scattering. At film thickness below the lamellar spacing of the bulk material a dewetting is observed. The kinetics of the film destabilization are explainable within a spinodal dewetting model. The observed dewetting structures belong to a wet dewetting. In the case of film thicknesses which enable the buildup of a few lamellae no sign of instability was detected.
| Original language | English |
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| Pages (from-to) | 2017-2023 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Macromolecules |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 12 Mar 2002 |