Regensburg 2007 – scientific programme

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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 17: Poster Session I (Nanostructures at Surfaces; Metal Substrates: Epitaxy and Growth; Methods: Scanning Probe Techniques; Phase Transitions)

O 17.52: Poster

Monday, March 26, 2007, 17:30–20:30, Poster C

Nanotomography of polystyrene-block-polybutadiene block copolymer — •Christian Dietz, Eike-Christian Spitzner, Sabine Scherdel, Nicolaus Rehse, and Robert Magerle — Chemische Physik, TU Chemnitz, D-09107 Chemnitz

Thin films of polystyrene-block-polybutadiene block copolymer (SB) form self organized structures during solvent annealing. At the given composition of the copolymer the polystyrene phase can form different morphologies. We find cylinders lying perpendicular or parallel to the surface or perforated lamellae depending on the film thickness and the solvent concentration. Using Nanotomography, a layer by layer volume imaging technique based on scanning probe microscopy (SPM), we are able to study the volume structure of layers beneath the surface of such films. An improved in-situ etching technique is introduced, where the etching is directly executed in an SPM liquid cell connected to reservoirs of water and an etchant. Here we use a solution of potassium permanganate in sulfuric acid for stepwise eroding the surface of the polymer. The water is used for flushing the liquid cell after each etching step and for imaging the surface in water. The liquid flow is controlled with solenoid valves, which allow for an automated etching/flushing/imaging protocol which is integrated into the SPM software. We present our latest results achieved with this new method on defects of SB films.