Ordering of 6-nm-sized nanodot arrays with 10-nm-pitch using self-assembled block copolymers along electron beam-drawn guide-lines

•We succeeded in ordering 6-nm-sized dot arrays with 10-nm-pitch between guide lines.•The ordering was achieved by graphoepitaxy with self-assemble and the line template.•3 to 7-ordered PDMS dot arrays were formed between 12-nm-wide EB-drawn guide lines.•The block copolymer was PS-PDMS with a molecular weight of 7000–1700 kg/mol.•The 10 × 12-nm-pitched nanodot arrays corresponds to 5 Tbit/in2 magnetic storage.

We studied the possibility to form long-range ordering of self-assembled nanodot arrays with a dot size of 6 nm and a dot pitch of 12 nm using guide-line templates for ultrahigh-density patterned media. This was realized by using self-assembled block copolymers of polystyrene-poly dimethyl siloxane (PS-PDMS) and the templates made of hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) negative electron beam (EB) resist. We have demonstrated that the method could possibly achieve a minimum pitch of about 10 nm using PS-PDMS of molecular weight 7000–1500 g/mol and EB-drawn guide lines. These results evidence the promising potential of a technology for achieving 5 Tbit/in2 magnetic storage devices.

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