Thin poly(styrene-block-4-hydroxystyrene) block copolymer films spin-coated directly on topographic prepattern substrates

We have investigated the formation of as-cast thin films of a poly(styrene-block-4-hydroxystyrene) (PS-b-PHOST) copolymer spin-coated directly on topographic prepattern substrates. Either wetting or dewetting of a polymer thin film, on the elevated regions occurs in the nonequilibrium state during spin-coating with solvent vapor saturated and strongly depends on the dimensions of the prepatterns. The ratio of periodic unit area to elevated one of a prepattern (β value) is found as one of the most important factors for wettability of a thin film. The dewetting of a thin film, guided by the edges of either elevated individual periodic lines or mesas, took place with self-assembled block copolymer nanostructure when the β value was greater than a critical value of ̃4 in our system. © 2008 American Chemical Society.