Directed self-assembly of block copolymers for universal nanopatterning

Block copolymers (BCP) are self-assembling polymeric materials that have been extensively investigated for several decades. Recently, directed self-assembly (DSA) of BCPs has received enormous research attention from both academia and industry as next-generation nanolithography technology. This article provides a brief introduction to (i) the spontaneous and directed self-assembly of BCPs, (ii) the orientation and lateral ordering of BCP nanopatterns and their relationships with DSA strategies, (iii) various potential applications of BCP nanopatterning, and (iv) mussel-inspired BCP nanopatterning for arbitrary substrate materials including low surface energy materials.