Guoliang Liu

Self-assembling block copolymers are of interest for nanomanufacturing due to the ability to realize sub-100 nm dimensions, thermodynamic control over the size and uniformity and density of features, and inexpensive processing. The insertion point of these materials in the production of integrated circuits, however, is often conceptualized in the short term for niche applications using the dense periodic arrays of spots or lines that characterize bulk block copolymer morphologies, or in the long term for device layouts completely redesigned into periodic arrays. Here we show that the domain structure of block copolymers in thin films can be directed to assemble into nearly the complete set of essential dense and isolated patterns as currently defined by the semiconductor industry. These results suggest that block copolymer materials, with their intrinsically advantageous self-assembling properties, may be amenable for broad application in advanced lithography, including device layouts used in existing nanomanufacturing processes.

Abstract High mass loading and fast charge transport are two crucial but often mutually exclusive characteristics of pseudocapacitors. On conventional carbon supports, high mass loadings inevitably lead to sluggish electron conduction and ion diffusion due to thick pseudocapacitive layers and clogged pores. Here we present a design principle of carbon supports, utilizing self-assembly and microphase-separation of block copolymers. We synthesize porous carbon fibers (PCFs) with uniform mesopores of 11.7 nm, which are partially filled with MnO 2 of <2 nm in thickness. The uniform mesopores and ultrathin MnO 2 enable fast electron/ion transport comparable to electrical-double-layer-capacitive carbons. At mass loadings approaching 7 mg cm −2 , the gravimetric and areal capacitances of MnO 2 (~50% of total mass) reach 1148 F g −1 and 3141 mF cm −2 , respectively. Our MnO 2 -coated PCFs outperform other MnO 2 -based electrodes at similar loadings, highlighting the great promise of block copolymers for designing PCF supports for electrochemical applications.