Structure Formation in Polymer Films From Micrometer to the sub-100 nm Length Scales

Applications ranging from state-of-the-art lithography in the semiconductor industry to molecular electronics require the control of polymer structures on length scales down to individual molecules. Structures on nanometer length scales can be achieved by employing a “bottom-up” approach, in which individual molecules are assembled to form a structural entity [1]. By using bottom-up technologies it is, however, by no means trivial to interface the macroscopic world. Technologies that are applied in practice usually require the modification and control of structures extending from the smallest units to the millimeter length scale. Traditionally, this is achieved by a “top-down” approach that has miniaturized the originally 1 centimeter-sized transistor down to the 100 nm structures found on a Pentium ® chip [2].