Orientational Order in Block Copolymer Films Zone Annealed below the Order−Disorder Transition Temperature

We report measurements of rapid ordering and preferential alignment in block copolymer films zone annealed below the order−disorder transition temperature. The orientational correlation lengths measured after approximately 5 h above the glass-transition temperature (≈ 2 μm) were an order of magnitude greater than that obtained under equivalent static annealing. The ability to rapidly process polymers with inaccessible order−disorder transition temperatures suggests zone annealing as a route toward more robust nanomanufacturing methods based on block copolymer self-assembly.