Diblock copolymer thin films: Parallel and perpendicular lamellar phases in the weak segregation limit

Abstract:

We study morphologies of thin-film diblock copolymers between two flat and parallel walls. The study is restricted to the weak segregation regime below the order-disorder transition temperature. The deviation from perfect lamellar shape is calculated for phases which are perpendicular and parallel to the walls. We examine the undulations of the inter material dividing surface and its angle with the walls, and find that the deviation from its unperturbed position can be much larger than in the strong segregation case. Evaluating the weak segregation stability of the lamellar phases, it is shown that a surface interaction, which is quadratic in the monomer concentration, favors the perpendicular lamellar phase. In particular, the degeneracy between perpendicular and unfrustrated parallel lamellar phases for walls without a preferential adsorption is removed.