A method for forming a device includes blending, in a mixer within a fabrication facility, a first liquid including a first block copolymer with a second liquid including a second block copolymer to form a first mixture. The first block copolymer includes a first homopolymer and a second homopolymer, where the first homopolymer has a first mole fraction in the first liquid. The second block copolymer includes the first homopolymer and the second homopolymer, the first homopolymer having a second mole fraction in the second liquid, the first mole fraction being different from the second mole fraction. The method includes placing a substrate over a substrate holder of a processing chamber within the fabrication facility; and coating the substrate with the first mixture within the processing chamber.

A method for producing a micro-pattern on surface of a wire is disclosed. The method includes a step of applying a nanoparticle solution to the wire to form a nanoparticle solution layer on the surface of the wire; and a step of irradiating the nanoparticle solution layer with a Bessel beam laser to induce sintering of nanoparticles, thereby forming a micro-pattern on the surface of the wire. It is possible to form a microelectrode pattern on a level of several to tens of micrometers on the surface of a micro-wire having a diameter on a scale of several tens to several hundreds of micrometers. Since a laser optical system with a long depth of focus is used, a micro-pattern with a uniform thickness can be formed on surface of a wire having a curvature in a simple.

A structural molecular building block is provided and includes first structural molecules arranged in a three-dimensional structure and second structural molecules. Each of the second structural molecules is attached at a first region thereof to one of the first structural molecules to form the three-dimensional structure into a tessellating molecular building block and has a second region thereof for connection to a corresponding structural molecule of an additional tessellating molecular building block. The second structural molecules facilitate tessellation of the tessellating molecular building block with additional tessellating molecular building blocks to encourage growth of a macroscopic crystal.

A method of forming a structure comprises forming a pattern of self-assembled nucleic acids over a material. The pattern of self-assembled nucleic acids is exposed to at least one repair enzyme to repair defects in the pattern. The repaired pattern of self-assembled nucleic acids is transferred to the material to form features therein. A method of decreasing defect density in self-assembled nucleic acids is also disclosed. Self-assembled nucleic acids exhibiting an initial defect density are formed over at least a portion of a material and the self-assembled nucleic acids are exposed to at least one repair enzyme to repair defects in the self-assembled nucleic acids. Additional methods are also disclosed.

Methods for etching nanostructures in a substrate include depositing a patterned block copolymer on the substrate, the patterned block copolymer including first and second polymer block domains, applying a precursor to the patterned block copolymer to generate an infiltrated block copolymer, the precursor infiltrating into the first polymer block domain and generating a material in the first polymer block domain, applying a removal agent to the infiltrated block copolymer to generate a patterned material, the removal agent removing the first and second polymer block domains from the substrate, and etching the substrate, the patterned material on the substrate masking the substrate to pattern the etching. The etching may be performed under conditions to produce nanostructures in the substrate.

Use of heterogeneous nucleation allows the localized reduction of metal salt and also cross-link the carbon precursor in the same region. This cross-linked matrix act as the secondary heterogeneous sites for spontaneous Nano particle synthesis and growth during the process of pyrolysis. Selectively creating heterogeneous sites and reducing the metal precursor using highly focused energy beams create various metal-carbon composites with controlled metal positioning. This is such a unique process where a pretreatment process will control the fabrication of complex metal-carbon composite nano and microstructures. This greatly simplifies the fabrication process, facilitating nanostructures like Nano metal bulbs, nanometal pointed nanogaps and metal sandwich structures with such process. With several advantages ranging from electronics, catalysis, optics and several other bio-functionalization technologies, this enables materials with unique and hybrid advantages. Moreover, fabrication of micro and Nano level structures provides a CMEMS and BIOMEMS relevant approach for wide range of applications.

A method of forming a structure comprises forming a pattern of self-assembled nucleic acids over a material. The pattern of self-assembled nucleic acids is exposed to at least one repair enzyme to repair defects in the pattern. The repaired pattern of self-assembled nucleic acids is transferred to the material to form features therein. A method of decreasing defect density in self-assembled nucleic acids is also disclosed. Self-assembled nucleic acids exhibiting an initial defect density are formed over at least a portion of a material and the self-assembled nucleic acids are exposed to at least one repair enzyme to repair defects in the self-assembled nucleic acids. Additional methods are also disclosed.

A pattern-forming method includes forming a prepattern and including a first polymer is formed on a silicon-containing film on a substrate. An underlayer film including a second polymer is formed in recessed portions of the prepattern. A composition for directed self-assembled film formation including a third polymer is applied on the underlayer film and the prepattern. The first polymer includes a first structural unit. The second polymer includes: a molecular chain including the first structural unit and a second structural unit that differs from the first structural unit; and an end structure that bonds to one end of the molecular chain and includes at least one selected from the group consisting of an amino group, a hydroxy group and a carboxy group. The third polymer is a block copolymer including a block of the first structural unit and a block of the second structural unit.

Technologies are described for methods and systems effective for etching nanostructures in a substrate. The methods may comprise depositing a patterned block copolymer on the substrate. The patterned block copolymer may include first and second polymer block domains. The methods may comprise applying a precursor to the patterned block copolymer to generate an infiltrated block copolymer. The precursor may infiltrate into the first polymer block domain and generate a material in the first polymer block domain. The methods may comprise applying a removal agent to the infiltrated block copolymer to generate a patterned material. The removal agent may be effective to remove the first and second polymer block domains from the substrate. The methods may comprise etching the substrate. The patterned material on the substrate may mask the substrate to pattern the etching. The etching may be performed under conditions to produce nanostructures in the substrate.

Methods for fabricating sub-lithographic, nanoscale microstructures utilizing self-assembling block copolymers, and films and devices formed from these methods are provided.