The Polymer Society of Korea

정재원 (고려대학교)

방준하 (고려대학교)

Compared to linear block copolymers (BCPs), bottlebrush block copolymers (BBCPs) exhibit superior properties such as higher entanglement molecular weight due to their unique architecture. However, thermal annealing of BBCP thin films often results in defects, mainly caused by side reactions involving terminal bromine (Br) groups. To enhance thermal stability and pattern fidelity, a dehalogenation reaction was employed to remove these terminal Br groups before annealing. This pre-treatment effectively suppressed defect formation and enabled the generation of well-ordered nanostructures solely through thermal annealing. The resulting morphologies, characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), showed high uniformity and order. These improved BBCPs demonstrate strong potential for directed self-assembly (DSA) applications, functioning not only in creating aligned nanoscale patterns but also in repairing defects in pre-patterned substrates.