Polymeric materials in self-assembled arrays and semiconductor structures and methods comprising such polymeric materials

Abstract

Methods for fabricating sublithographic, nanoscale microstructures in line arrays utilizing self-assembling block copolymers, and films and devices formed from these methods are provided. Semiconductor structures may include self-assembled block copolymer materials in the form of lines of half-cylinders of a minority block matrix of a majority block of the block copolymer. The lines of half-cylinders may be within trenches in the semiconductor structures.

1 . A semiconductor structure, comprising:
 a material over a substrate, the material defining a first trench and a second trench therein, the first trench having a width of at least two times a width of the second trench;   a neutral wetting material on a floor of each of the first trench and the second trench; and   at least one line of half-cylinders of polymeric material within each of the first trench and the second trench.   
     
     
         2 . The semiconductor structure of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one line of half-cylinders of polymeric material within each of the first trench and the second trench is disposed over the neutral wetting material. 
     
     
         3 . The semiconductor structure of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one line of half-cylinders of polymeric material within each of the first trench and the second trench comprises at least two parallel lines of half-cylinders of polymeric material within the first trench. 
     
     
         4 . The semiconductor of structure  claim 1 , wherein the at least one line of half-cylinders of polymeric material within each of the first trench and the second trench comprises a single line of half-cylinders of polymeric material within the second trench. 
     
     
         5 . The semiconductor structure of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one line of half-cylinders of polymeric material within each of the first trench and the second trench comprises a block copolymer material comprising a major domain and a minor domain. 
     
     
         6 . The semiconductor structure of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one line of half cylinders of polymeric material within each of the first trench and the second trench further comprises an inorganic component. 
     
     
         7 . The semiconductor structure of  claim 1 , further comprising a matrix of another polymeric material at least partially surrounding the at least one line of half-cylinders of polymeric material within each of the first trench and the second trench. 
     
     
         8 . The semiconductor structure of  claim 1 , further comprising a portion of the polymeric material over the material defining the first trench and the second trench. 
     
     
         9 . The semiconductor structure of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one line of half-cylinders of polymeric material within each of the first trench and the second trench comprises at least one crosslinked polymer domain. 
     
     
         10 . A polymeric material, comprising:
 at least one self-assembled line of half-cylinders of polymeric material over a neutral wetting material on a floor of each of a first trench and a second trench over a substrate, the first trench having a width of at least two times a width of the second trench.   
     
     
         11 . The polymeric material of  claim 10 , further comprising another polymeric material in contact with the half-cylinders of polymeric material, wherein the another polymeric material comprises a majority block of a block copolymer, and wherein the half-cylinders of polymeric material comprise a minority block of the block copolymer. 
     
     
         12 . The polymeric material of  claim 11 , wherein the block copolymer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of poly(styrene)-b-poly(vinylpyridine) (PS-b-PVP), poly(styrene)-b-poly(methylmethacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA), poly(styrene)-b-poly(lactide) (PS-b-PLA), poly(styrene)-b-poly(tert-butyl acrylate) (PS-b-PtBA), poly(styrene)-b-poly(ethylene-co-butylene) (PS-b-(PE-co-PB)), poly(styrene)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO), polybutadiene-b-poly(vinylpyridine) (PB-b-PVP), and poly(ethylene-alt-propylene)-b-poly(vinylpyridine) (PEP-b-PVP). 
     
     
         13 . The polymeric material of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one self-assembled line of half-cylinders is oriented parallel to the floor of the first trench or the second trench, and wherein the at least one self-assembled line of half-cylinders extends along a length of the first trench or the second trench, the half-cylinders having a face oriented toward and wetting the floor of the first trench or the second trench. 
     
     
         14 . The polymeric material of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one self-assembled line of half-cylinders of polymeric material comprises at least two self-assembled lines of half-cylinders of polymeric material within the first trench. 
     
     
         15 . The polymeric material of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one self-assembled line of half-cylinders of polymeric material comprises a metal. 
     
     
         16 . The polymeric material of  claim 15 , wherein the metal comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a metal salt, a metal oxide gel, a metal alkoxide polymer, a metal oxide precursor, a metal nitride precursor, and metal fine particles. 
     
     
         17 . A method of forming a semiconductor structure, comprising:
 forming a material over a substrate, the material defining a first trench and a second trench therein, the first trench having a width of at least two times a width of the second trench;   forming a neutral wetting material on a floor of each of the first trench and the second trench; and   forming at least one line of half-cylinders of polymeric material within each of the first trench and the second trench.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein forming at least one line of half-cylinders of polymeric material within each of the first trench and the second trench comprises forming at least two lines of half-cylinder of polymeric material within the first trench. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein forming at least one line of half-cylinders of polymeric material within each of the first trench and the second trench comprises forming a block copolymer material comprising a major domain and a minor domain within each of the first trench and the second trench. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein forming at least one line of half-cylinders of polymeric material within each of the first trench and the second trench comprises forming an inorganic species within at least one of the first trench and the second trench, and further comprising oxidizing at least a portion of the polymeric material to convert the inorganic species to a non-volatile inorganic oxide.