Facile routes to patterned surface neutralization layers for block copolymer lithography

A new crosslinking system based on azide-functionalized random copolymers has been defined for the preparation of substrates with controllable surface interactions. The azido group is used for both thermal- and photo-crosslinking, which is found to be very efficient. Furthermore, the use of UV irradiation for crosslinking enables the preparation of patterned surfaces by conventional photolithographic techniques, combining the bottom-up self-assembly of block copolymer strategies with traditional top-down photolithographic methods.