Precise characterization of outermost surface of crystalline-crystalline diblock copolymer thin films using synchrotron radiation soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Conducting a spatially resolved chemical analysis of polymer thin film surfaces is therefore of great interest. Angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been used extensively to obtain depth profiles of the chemical composition near the polymer surface. The analytical depth depends on the photoelectron take-off angle with respect to the thin film surface, and the photoelectron take-off angle must be very low for an outermost surface analysis. The confined geometry of the PEG phase inhibits lamellar growth, which results in a decrease in crystallite size and crystalline perfection and thereby depresses the melting temperature of the PEG phase. The confined geometry of the PEG phase inhibits lamellar growth, which results in a decrease in crystallite size and crystalline perfection and thereby depresses the melting temperature of the PEG phase.