A method for manufacturing a graphitic sheet is used to obtain the graphitic sheet with similar characteristics to graphene. The method includes forming an ocatadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) layer on a substrate to obtain a composite. The composite is annealed at 250-400 C. for 30-90 minutes, forming the graphitic sheet on the substrate via self-assembly of ocatadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) in the OTS layer. The annealed composite is immersed in water, followed by being sonicated for 2 minutes with a frequency of 40 kHz and a power output of 200 W, to separate the graphitic sheet from the substrate.

A nanostructured article having a first layer with a nanostructured surface is described. The nanostructured surface includes a plurality of pillars extending from a base surface of the first layer. The pillars have an average height greater than an average lateral dimension of the pillars. An average center-to-center spacing between pillars is no more than 2000 nm. The average lateral dimension is no less than 50 nm. Each pillar in the plurality of pillars has at least a lower portion and an upper portion where the lower portion is between the upper portion and the base surface, and the upper and lower portions have differing compositions. The nanostructured article includes a second layer disposed over the plurality of pillars and extending continuously to the base surface.

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.

An evaluation system of block copolymer patterns includes a supplier, a plurality of analyzers, and a homopolymer interference remover. The supplier provides a sample including a block copolymer and a homopolymer. The analyzers measure a molecular weight of the block copolymer in the sample, measure a preliminary block ratio, the preliminary block ratio corresponding to a total ratio in the sample of each block in the block copolymer, and selectively measure a ratio of the homopolymer in the sample. The homopolymer interference remover subtracts the ratio of the homopolymer from the preliminary block ratio.

A processing method is disclosed that enables an improved directed self-assembly (DSA) processing scheme by allowing the formation of improved guide strips in the DSA template that may enable the formation of sub-30 nm features on a substrate. The improved guide strips may be formed by improving the selectivity of wet chemical processing between different organic layers or films. In one embodiment, treating the organic layers with one or more wavelengths of ultraviolet light may improve selectivity. The first wavelength of UV light may be less than 200 nm and the second wavelength of UV light may be greater than 200 nm.

A method for fabricating a nanostructure utilizes a templated monocrystalline substrate. The templated monocrystalline substrate is energetically (i.e., preferably thermally) treated, with an optional precleaning and an optional amorphous material layer located thereupon, to form a template structured monocrystalline substrate that includes the monocrystalline substrate with a plurality of epitaxially aligned contiguous monocrystalline pillars extending therefrom. The monocrystalline substrate and the plurality of epitaxially aligned contiguous monocrystalline pillars may comprise the same or different monocrystalline materials. The method provides the nanostructure where when the monocrystalline substrate and the plurality of epitaxial aligned contiguous monocrystalline pillars comprise different monocrystalline materials having a bulk crystal structure mismatch of up to about 10 percent, lattice mismatch induced crystal structure defects may be avoided interposed between the monocrystalline substrate and the plurality of epitaxially aligned contiguous monocrystalline pillars, which may have an irregular sidewall shape.

Techniques for generating enhanced inductors and other electronic devices are presented. A device generator component (DGC) performs directed-self assembly (DSA) co-polymer deposition on a circular guide pattern formed in low-k dielectric film, and DSA annealing to form two polymers in the form of alternating concentric rings; performs a loop cut in the concentric rings to form concentric segments; fills the cut portion with insulator material; selectively removes first polymer, fills the space with low-k dielectric, and planarizes the surface; selectively removes the second polymer, fills the space with conductive material, and planarizes the surface; deposits low-k film on top of the concentric segments and insulator material that filled the loop cut portion; forms vias in the low-k film, wherein each via spans from an end of one segment to an end of another segment; and fills vias with conductive material to form conductive connectors to form substantially spiral conductive structure.

Crosslinkable random copolymers comprising atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiators and crosslinked copolymer films formed from the copolymers are provided. The random copolymers, which are polymerized from one or more alkyl halide functional inimers and one or more monomers having a crosslinkable functionality, are characterized by pendant ATRP initiating groups and pendant crosslinkable groups.

Self-aligned via and plug patterning for back end of line (BEOL) interconnects are described. In an example, a structure for directed self-assembly includes a substrate and a block co-polymer structure disposed above the substrate. The block co-polymer structure has a polystyrene (PS) component and a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) component. One of the PS component or the PMMA component is photosensitive.