Precision Microenvironment-Driven Isothermal Annealing for the Self-Assembly of Perpendicular Block Copolymers in High-Resolution Lithography Applications

Block copolymer (BCP) nanolithography offers potential beyond traditional photolithographic limits, yet reliably producing low-defect, perpendicular domains remains challenging. We introduce a microenvironment-driven isothermal annealing method for directed self-assembly (DSA) of BCP thin films. By annealing films at stable temperature in a quasi-sealed, inert-gas chamber, our approach promotes highly uniform perpendicular lamellar nanopatterns over large areas, effectively mitigating environmental fluctuations and emulating solvent-vapor annealing without solvent exposure. Resulting BCP structures demonstrate enhanced spatial coherence and notably low defect density. Furthermore, we successfully transfer these nanopatterns into precise metal nano-line arrays, confirming the method’s capability for high-fidelity pattern replication. This scalable, solvent-free technique provides a robust, reliable route for high-resolution nanopatterning in advanced semiconductor manufacturing.