Abstract
External surfaces can significantly alter the phase decomposition (PD) of polymer mixtures in thin films. The surface mode of PD orders two coexisting phases in organised structures with laminated domain morphology. Such structures are employed in new polymer-based technologies of photoelectronic devices or microelectronic circuits. We studied the surface mode of PD in thin films composed of various binary mixtures of polystyrene with its deuterated- and partially brominated- counterpart. We have examined how PD is influenced by: (a) surface active diblock copolymers admixed to decomposing blends, (b) substrate surface modification, and (c) finite film thickness. Thin films were studied by nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The results provided composition profiles as a function of depth in the film with a nanometer precision, comparable with the polymer chain dimensions. Lateral morphology was investigated by means of the atomic force microscope and optical microscope. Various laminated structures composed of 2-, 3-, or 4- layers or column-like structures self-stratified from initially homogenous films were observed.
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