Simultaneous In-Film Polymer Synthesis and Self-Assembly for Hierarchical Nanopatterns.

A key requirement for practical applications of nanostructured block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly is the ability to generate complex geometries including different shapes and diverse sizes across one substrate surface. This has been difficult because spatial control over the underlying chemistry of the BCP has been limited. Here, we demonstrate a photocontrolled polymerization process in the presence of monomer vapor for synthesizing homopolymers in self-assembled BCP films.