The present application relates to a block copolymer and uses thereof. The present application can provide a block copolymer—which exhibits an excellent self-assembling property and thus can be used effectively in a variety of applications—and uses thereof.

A substrate processing apparatus 1 is configured to supply a processing liquid to a peripheral portion of a wafer W being rotated. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a rotating/holding unit 21 configured to rotate and hold the wafer W; a processing liquid discharging unit 73 configured to discharge the processing liquid toward the peripheral portion of the wafer W held by the rotating/holding unit 21; a variation width acquiring unit configured to acquire information upon a variation width of a deformation amount of the peripheral portion of the wafer W; and a discharge controller 7 configured to control a discharge angle and a discharge position of the processing liquid from the processing liquid discharging unit 73 onto the peripheral portion based on the information upon the variation width of the deformation amount of the peripheral portion acquired by the variation width acquiring unit.

A resin composition for forming a phase-separated structure, including a block copolymer, and an ion liquid containing a compound having a cation moiety and an anion moiety, the anion moiety being represented by general formula (a1), (a2) or (a3), in which X″ represents an alkylene group of 2 to 6 carbon atoms in which at least one hydrogen atom is substituted with a fluorine atom; Y″ and Z″ each independently represents an alkyl group of 1 to 10 carbon atoms in which at least one hydrogen atom is substituted with a fluorine atom; R″ represents an alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms in which at least one hydrogen atom is optionally substituted with a fluorine atom, m represents an integer of 1 to 6, and n represents an integer of 0 to 5, provided that m+n=6.

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A processing method in one embodiment includes: a step that takes an image of the end face of a reference substrate, whose warp amount is known, over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the reference substrate over the whole periphery of the reference substrate; a step that takes an image of the end face of a substrate over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the substrate over the whole periphery of the substrate; a step that calculates warp amount of the substrate based on the obtained shape data; a step that forms a resist film on a surface of the substrate; a step that determines the supply position from which an organic solvent is to be supplied to a peripheral portion of the resist film and dissolves the peripheral portion by the solvent supplied from the supply position to remove the same from the substrate.

A primer layer comprising a polyvinyl butyral resin enhances adhesion of silver nanoparticle inks onto plastic substrates. The primer layer comprises a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) resin having a polyvinyl alcohol content between about 18 wt. % to about 21 wt. %. The PVB resin may also have a glass transition temperature greater than about 70° C. Optionally, the PVB primer layer may further be enhanced by cross-linking using a melamine-formaldehyde resin. Conductive traces formed on plastic substrates having the PVB primer layer exhibit an acceptable cross-hatch adhesion rating with little to no degradation of adhesion being observed after exposure to 4-days salt mist aging or 1-day high humidity aging.

The present invention relates to a process of fabricating P(VDF-TrFE) films by modifying the solvent composition. Two solvents MEK and DMSO were mixed in pre-determined ratios and that co-solvent mixture was used for fabricating the P(VDF-TrFE) films. By virtue of such method driven P(VDF-TrFE) films, the ferroelectric capacitors comprising of the same were found to achieve low voltage operation, thermal stability and fatigue endurance, which indicated improved ferroelectric performance of the devices. In addition, the films made by same process also yielded high piezo- and pyro-electric coefficient, indicating improved piezo- and pyro-electric performances of the devices.

A modification method of a surface of a base includes applying a composition on a surface layer of a base to form a coating film. The surface layer contains a metal atom. The coating is heated. The composition contains a polymer and a solvent. The polymer includes at an end of a main chain or at an end of a side chain thereof, a functional group that is at least one selected from: a group represented by the following formula (1); a group containing a carbon-carbon triple bond; and a group containing an aromatic hydroxy group. In the formula (1), R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms; and n is an integer of 1 to 10, wherein in a case in which n is no less than 2, a plurality of R.sup.1s are identical or different. ##STR00001##

In a method, a resist material is dispensed through a tube of a nozzle of a resist pump system on a wafer. The tube extends from a top to a bottom of the nozzle and has upper, lower, and middle segments. When not dispensing, the resist material is retracted from the lower and the middle segments, and maintained in the upper segment of the tube. When retracting, a first solvent is flown through a tip of the nozzle at the bottom of the nozzle to fill the lower segment of the tube with the first solvent and to produce a gap in the middle segment of the tube between the resist material and the first solvent. The middle segment includes resist material residues on an inner surface wall of the tube and vapor of the first solvent. The vapor of the first solvent prevents the resist material residues from drying.

The present application provides a block copolymer and uses thereof. The block copolymer of the present application exhibits an excellent self-assembling property or phase separation property, can be provided with a variety of required functions without constraint and, especially, etching selectivity can be secured, making the block copolymer effectively applicable to such uses as pattern formation.

The present application provides a block copolymer and uses thereof. The block copolymer of the present application exhibits an excellent self-assembling property or phase separation property, can be provided with a variety of required functions without constraint and, especially, etching selectivity can be secured, making the block copolymer effectively applicable to such uses as pattern formation.