Numerical placement analysis in hole multiplication patterns for directed self-assembly

Placement of cylinders in hole multiplication patterns for directed self-assembly is the topic of this computational study. A hole doublet process applying a corner rounded rectangle guide is the focus of this work. Placements including morphology fluctuation can be analyzed by dissipative particle dynamics simulation. When the surface of guides and underlayers are modified from strong polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) attractive to weak PMMA attractive, two PMMA cylinders can be contacted at the underlayer. Even when the PMMA domain had a separated morphology, hole placement errors (HPE) were similar to those with connected domains which occurred in the strong PMMA affine case. In general, HPE in longitudinal guide direction was larger than in the shorter direction. It is interesting to note that HPE in the longer direction was decreased by increasing the guide size in shorter direction. Cylinder tops likely fluctuate; cylinder middles may fluctuate as well in some cases. Means for HPE reduction were also tested computationally: reducing the guide thickness and employing dimpled structures. Decreasing guide thickness was effective for reducing HPE; however, guide thicknesses that were too thin prevented PMMA domains from forming vertical cylinders. Dimpled structures also reduced HPE. The depth of the dimple had a little influence on the distance of two holes when the guide structure was fitted with hexagonal packing for the block co-polymers.