Hgst Netherlands, B.v.

Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Guoliang Liu

Ricardo Ruiz

Elizabeth Ann Dobisz

Paul Franklin Nealey

Gabriel Zeltzer

Thomas R Albrecht

Jeffrey Scott Lille

Hiroshi Yoshida

Juan Jose De Pablo

Huiman Kang

Yashuhiko Tada

Abelardo Ramirez-Hernandez

Provided are methods of fabricating thin film structures that involve assembling block copolymer materials in the presence of condensed phase surfaces on both sides of the thin film, at least one of which is a chemically patterned surface configured to direct the assembly of the block copolymer material. According to various embodiments, the other of the condensed phase surfaces can be a chemically homogenous surface or a chemically patterned surface. Also provided are structures, morphologies, and templates formed in the domain structure of block copolymer materials. In certain embodiments, complex 3-D morphologies and related structures not present in bulk block copolymer materials are provided.

Directed assembly of block copolymer films between a chemically patterned surface and a second surface

A method for making a master mold used to nanoimprint patterned magnetic recording disks that have chevron servo patterns with minimal defects uses directed self-assembly of block copolymers. A pattern of chemically modified polymer brush material is formed on the master mold substrate. The pattern includes sets of slanted stripes and interface strips between the sets of slanted stripes. A block copolymer material is deposited on the pattern, which results in directed self-assembly of the block copolymer as lamellae perpendicular to the substrate that are formed into alternating slanted stripes of alternating first and second components of the block copolymer. This component also forms on the interface strips, but as a lamella parallel to the substrate. One of the components is then removed, leaving the remaining component as a grid that acts as a mask for etching the substrate to form the master mold. The disks nanoimprinted by the master mold have reduced defective areas in the transition regions of the chevron servo patterns.

Method using block copolymers for making a master mold for nanoimprinting patterned magnetic recording disks with chevron servo patterns

A method using directed self-assembly of BCPs enables the making of a master disk for nanoimprinting magnetic recording disks that have patterned data islands and patterned binary encoded nondata marks. The method uses guided self-assembly of a BCP to form patterns of sets of radial lines and circumferential gaps of one of the BCP components, which can be used as an etch mask to make the master disk. The sets of radial lines and circumferential gaps can be patterned so as to encode binary numbers. The pattern is replicated as binary encoded nondata marks into the nanoimprinted disks, with the marks functioning as binary numbers for data sector numbers and/or servo sector numbers. If the disks also use a chevron servo pattern, the binary numbers can function to identify groups of tracks associated with the chevron servo pattern.

Method using block copolymers for making a master disk with radial binary encoded nondata marks for nanoimprinting patterned magnetic recording disks

A method for making a master disk for nanoimprinting patterned-media magnetic recording disks has patterns for both the data islands and the nondata regions. The method uses guided self-assembly of a block copolymer (BCP) to form patterns of generally radial lines and/or generally concentric rings as well as patterns of gap regions of one of the BCP components. The pattern of lines and/or rings have the BCP components aligned as lamellae perpendicular to the substrate, while the pattern of gap regions has the BCP components aligned as lamellae parallel to the substrate. One of the BCP components is removed, leaving the other BCP component as an etch mask to fabricate either the final master disk or two separate molds that are then used to fabricate the master disk.

Method using block copolymers for making a master disk with radial nondata marks for nanoimprinting patterned magnetic recording disks

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Madison, WI, United States of America

Guoliang Liu