Orientational order in block copolymer films zone annealed below the order-disorder transition temperature

We report measurements of rapid ordering and preferential alignment in block copolymer films zone annealed below the order-disorder transition temperature. The orientational correlation lengths measured after approximately 5 h above the glass-transition temperature (approximate to 2 mu m) were an order of magnitude greater than that obtained under equivalent static annealing. The ability to rapidly process polymers with inaccessible order-disorder transition temperatures suggests zone annealing as a route toward more robust nanomanufacturing methods based on block copolymer self-assembly.