Polymer Thin Film, Patterned Substrate, Patterned Medium for Magnetic Recording, and Method of Manufacturing these Articles

• US 20080233435A1
• Filed: 01/25/2008
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Feng, Yoshida, Hiroshi, Hasegawa, Hirokazu, Takenaka, Mikihito
• Granted Patent: US 8,039,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/826
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/34 Applying different liquids or other fluent materials simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/0254 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/0493 using vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/00 Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces to obtain special surface effects, finishes or structures
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0002 Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/855 Coating only part of a support with a magnetic layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/269 including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component

Abstract

A polymer thin film in which cylindrical phases are distributed in a continuous phase and are oriented in a pass-through-direction of the film includes at least: a first block copolymer including at least a block chain A1, as a component of the continuous phase, composed of polymerized monomers a1, and a block chain B1, as a component of the cylindrical phases, composed of polymerized monomers b1; and a second block copolymer including at least a block chain A2, as a component of the continuous phase, composed of polymerized monomers a2, and a block chain B2, as a component of the cylindrical phases, composed of polymerized monomers b2, with the second copolymer having a degree of polymerization different from that of the first copolymer. A film thickness of the polymer thin film and an average center distance between adjacent cylindrical phases have a relation represented by a predetermined expression.

Claims

1. A polymer thin film in which cylindrical phases are distributed in a continuous phase, at least comprising:

a first block copolymer comprising at least a block chain A1, as a component of the continuous phase, composed of polymerized monomers a1, and a block chain B1, as a component of the cylindrical phases, composed of polymerized monomers b1; and

a second block copolymer comprising at least a block chain A2, as a component of the continuous phase, composed of polymerized monomers a2, and a block chain B2, as a component of the cylindrical phases, composed of polymerized monomers b2,

the second block copolymer having a degree of polymerization different from that of the first block copolymer,

the cylindrical phases provided in a substantially periodic array pattern and oriented in a pass-through direction of the polymer thin film, and

a film thickness L of the polymer thin film and an average center distance r between adjacent cylindrical phases having a relation represented by an expression as follows;

2. The polymer thin film according to claim 1, wherein a weight fraction of the first block copolymer is not less than 65% and not more than 95% of a total weight of the first and second block copolymers.

3. The polymer thin film according to claim 2, wherein a ratio of a molecular weight of the block chain A1 to a molecular weight of the block chain A2 is more than 1.0 and not more than 5.0.

4. The polymer thin film according to claim 1, wherein a volume fraction of the cylindrical phase is not less than 0.20 and not more than 0.35 of a total volume of the polymer thin film.

5. The polymer thin film according to claim 1, wherein the monomer a1 and the monomer a2 have same chemical compositions, and the monomer b1 and the monomer b2 have same chemical compositions.

6. The polymer thin film according to claim 1,

wherein the first block copolymer is a diblock copolymer in which the block chain A1 and the block chain B1 are bonded to each other at respective ends thereof, and

wherein the second block copolymer is a diblock copolymer in which the block chain A2 and the block chain B2 are bonded to each other at respective ends thereof.

7. The polymer thin film according to claim 1, wherein at least any one of the monomer a1 and the monomer a2 is a styrene monomer, and at least any one of the monomer b1 and the monomer b2 is a methyl methacrylate monomer.

8. The polymer thin film according to claim 1, wherein at least any one of the monomer a1 and the monomer a2 is a methyl methacrylate monomer, and at least any one of the monomer b1 and the monomer b2 is a styrene monomer.

9. The polymer thin film according to claim 1, wherein the polymer thin film is formed on a surface of a substrate.

10. The polymer thin film according to claim 1, wherein the polymer thin film is formed in a groove provided on a surface of a substrate.

14. A method of manufacturing a first patterned substrate, comprising a step of selectively removing any one of the continuous phase or the cylindrical phases in the polymer thin film of the substrate according to claim 9 or 10 to form a patterned surface on the first patterned substrate.

15. A method of manufacturing a second patterned substrate comprising a step of processing a surface of a substrate in a position corresponding to the selectively removed phase in the polymer thin film of the first patterned substrate manufactured with the method according to claim 14, to obtain the second patterned substrate on which a pattern of the patterned surface of the first patterned substrate is transferred.

16. A method of manufacturing a third patterned substrate comprising the steps of:

contacting a material to be transferred closely with the first or second patterned substrate according to claim 14 or 15, respectively, to obtain the third patterned substrate on which the pattern on the first or second patterned substrate is transferred; and

separating the third patterned substrate from the first or second patterned substrate.

17. A patterned substrate manufactured with the method of manufacturing the first, second, or third patterned substrate according to any one of claims 14 to 16.

18. A method of manufacturing a patterned substrate for magnetic recording, comprising a step of transferring a patterned surface of the patterned substrate according to claim 17.

19. A patterned substrate for magnetic recording manufactured with the method of manufacturing a patterned substrate for magnetic recording according to claim 18.

11. A method of manufacturing a polymer thin film in which cylindrical phases are distributed in a continuous phase, and the cylindrical phases are provided in a substantially periodic array pattern and oriented in a pass-through-direction of the polymer thin film, comprising:

a solution applying step in which applied on a surface of a substrate is a solution containing at least a first block copolymer comprising a block chain A1, as a component of the continuous phase, composed of polymerized monomers a1, and a block chain B1, as a component of the cylindrical phases, composed of polymerized monomers b1, and, a second block copolymer comprising at least a block chain A2, as a component of the continuous phase, composed of polymerized monomers a2, and a block chain B2, as a component of the cylindrical phases, composed of polymerized monomers b2, the second block copolymer having a degree of polymerization different from that of the first block copolymer;

a coating forming step in which a solvent is evaporated from the solution, the coating formed on the surface of the substrate having a film thickness L thereof that satisfies an expression as follows;

12. The method of manufacturing a polymer thin film according to claim 11, wherein a weight fraction of the first block copolymer is not less than 65% and not more than 95% of a total weight of the first and second block copolymers.

13. The method of manufacturing a polymer thin film according to claim 12, wherein a ratio of a molecular weight of the block chain A1 to a molecular weight of the block chain A2 in the second block copolymer is more than 1.0 and not more than 5.0.