Controlled polymer nanostructures by alternative lithography

The main goal pursued in this thesis is to investigate the role of organometallic polymers in bottom-up and top-down nanofabrication techniques to provide patterned platforms. Poly(ferrocenylsilane)s (PFSs) were explored for their use in top-down fabrication since they show a high etch resistance to reactive ion etching (RIE). The PFS polymers synthesized were used as resists in top-down lithographic applications on the micro- and nanometer scales. Phase separation in block copolymers was used to create bottom-up patterns on a nanometer scale. Surface-initiated polymerization (SIP) was performed for the preparation of polymer brush patterns for use in biological applications. Different lithography techniques such as nanoimprint lithography (NIL), UV-nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL) and nanosphere lithography (NSL) were employed to fabricate patterns of PFS. The patterns fabricated were further utilized to create structures on various polymer and silicon surfaces at different lengthscales. In addition, nanostructured polymer brushes were grafted from a patterned initiator obtained by the step-and-flash imprint lithography (SFIL) process. Block copolymer self-assembly was also used to generate nanoperiodic PFS patterns. Symmetry, pattern quality and correlation as a function of the primary structure of polystyrene-block-poly(ferrocenyldimethylsilane) (PS-b-PFS) is discussed.