Abstract: Some embodiments include methods of forming patterns. A first mask is formed over a material. The first mask has features extending therein and defines a first pattern. The first pattern has a first level of uniformity across a distribution of the features. A brush layer is formed across the first mask and within the features to narrow the features and create a second mask from the first mask. The second mask has a second level of uniformity across the narrowed features which is greater than the first level of uniformity. A pattern is transferred from the second mask into the material.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a semiconducting nanoparticle comprising a one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle having a first end and a second end; where the second end is opposed to the first end; a first node that comprises a first semiconductor; where the first node contacts a radial surface of the one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle producing a first heterojunction at the point of contact; and a second node that comprises a second semiconductor; where the second node contacts the radial surface of the one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle producing a second heterojunction at the point of contact; where the first heterojunction is compositionally different from the second heterojunction.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a photoresist composition comprising a graft block copolymer; a solvent and a photoacid generator; where the graft block copolymer comprises a first block polymer; the first block polymer comprising a backbone polymer and a first graft polymer; where the first graft polymer comprises a surface energy reducing moiety that comprises a halocarbon moiety or a silicon containing moiety; and a second block polymer; the second block polymer being covalently bonded to the first block; wherein the second block comprises the backbone polymer and a second graft polymer; where the second graft polymer comprises a functional group that is operative to undergo deprotection and alter the solubility of the graft block copolymer; where the graft block copolymer has a bottle brush topology.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a block copolymer comprising a first block derived from a vinyl aromatic monomer; where the vinyl aromatic monomer has at least one alkyl substitution on an aromatic ring; a second block derived from a siloxane monomer; where a chi parameter that measures interactions between the first block and the second block is 0.03 to 0.18 at a temperature of 200° C. Disclosed herein is a method comprising polymerizing a vinyl aromatic monomer to form a first block; and polymerizing a second block onto the first block to form a block copolymer; where the second block is derived by polymerizing a siloxane monomer; and where the block copolymer has a chi parameter of 0.03 to 0.18 at a temperature of 200° C.; where the chi parameter is a measure of interactions between the first block and the second block of the copolymer.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a block copolymer comprising a first segment and a second segment that are covalently bonded to each other and that are chemically different from each other; where the first segment has a first surface free energy and where the second segment has a second surface free energy; and an additive copolymer; where the additive copolymer comprises a surface free energy reducing moiety where the surface free energy reducing moiety has a lower surface free energy than that of the first segment and the second segment; the additive copolymer further comprising one or more moieties having an affinity to the block copolymer; where the surface free energy reducing moiety is chemically different from the first segment and from the second segment; where the additive copolymer is not water miscible; and where the additive copolymer is not covalently bonded with the block copolymer.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method comprising disposing upon a substrate a composition comprising a block copolymer; where the block copolymer comprises a first polymer and a second polymer; where the first polymer and the second polymer of the block copolymer are different from each other and the block copolymer forms a phase separated structure; an additive polymer; where the additive polymer comprises a reactive moiety that is operative to react with a substrate upon which it is disposed; and where the additive polymer comprises a homopolymer that is the chemically and structurally the same as one of the polymers in the block copolymer or where the additive polymer comprises a random copolymer that has a preferential interaction with one of the blocks of the block copolymers; and a solvent; and annealing the composition.

Abstract: A composition comprising a polymer and a solvent, wherein the polymer comprises: a repeat unit of the following general formula (I): wherein: Ar1, Ar2, Ar3 and Ar4 independently represent an optionally substituted divalent aromatic group; X1 and X2 independently represent a single bond, —O—, —C(O)—, —C(O)O—, —OC(O)—, —C(O)NR1—, —NR2C(O)—, —S—, —S(O)—, —SO2— or an optionally substituted C1-20 divalent hydrocarbon group, wherein R1 and R2 independently represent H or a C1-20 hydrocarbyl group; m is 0 or 1; n is 0 or 1; and o is 0 or 1; and an endcapping group that is free of polymerizable vinyl groups and hydroxyl groups. The compositions find particular applicability in the manufacture of semiconductor devices for forming low-k and ultra-low-k dielectric materials.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a pattern forming method comprising providing a substrate devoid of a layer of a brush polymer; disposing upon the substrate a composition comprising a block copolymer comprising a first polymer and a second polymer; where the first polymer and the second polymer of the block copolymer are different from each other; an additive polymer comprising a reactive functional moiety that forms a bond with or a complex or a coordinate with the substrate upon being disposed on the substrate; and a solvent; and annealing the composition to facilitate bonding or complexation or coordination of the additive polymer to the substrate and domain separation between the first polymer and the second polymer of the block copolymer to form a morphology of periodic domains formed from the first polymer and the second polymer.

Abstract: Methods of forming an electronic device comprise: (a) providing a semiconductor substrate comprising a porous feature on a surface thereof; (b) applying a composition over the porous feature, wherein the composition comprises a polymer and a solvent, wherein the polymer comprises a repeat unit of the following general formula (I): wherein: Ar1, Ar2, Ar3 and Ar4 independently represent an optionally substituted divalent aromatic group; X1 and X2 independently represent a single bond, —O—, —C(O)—, —C(O)O—, —OC(O)—, —C(O)NR1—, —NR2C(O)—, —S—, —S(O)—, —SO2— or an optionally substituted C1-20 divalent hydrocarbon group, wherein R1 and R2 independently represent H or a C1-20 hydrocarbyl group; m is 0 or 1; n is 0 or 1; and o is 0 or 1; and (c) heating the composition; wherein the polymer is disposed in pores of the porous feature. The methods find particular applicability in the manufacture of semiconductor devices for forming low-k and ultra-low-k dielectric materials.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a composition comprising a block copolymer; where the block copolymer comprises a first polymer and a second polymer; where the first polymer and the second polymer of the block copolymer are different from each other and the block copolymer forms a phase separated structure; an additive polymer comprising a polymer wherein the surface tension of the polymer with the first polymer and the surface tension of the polymer with the second polymer are both lower than the surface tension between the first polymer and second polymer; where the additive polymer comprises a reactive functional moiety that forms a bond or a complex or a coordinate with the substrate upon being disposed on the substrate; where the reactive functional moiety is unreacted when it is a part of the composition; and a solvent.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a composition comprising a block copolymer; where the block copolymer comprises a first polymer and a second polymer; where the first polymer and the second polymer of the block copolymer are different from each other and the block copolymer forms a phase separated structure; and an additive polymer; where the additive polymer comprises a reactive moiety that is reacted to a substrate upon which it is disposed; and where the additive polymer comprises a homopolymer that is the chemically and structurally the same as one of the polymers in the block copolymer or where the additive polymer comprises a random copolymer that has a preferential interaction with one of the blocks of the block copolymers.

Abstract: A method of separating a secondary alcohol compound from a primary alcohol compound using selective acylation is provided.

Abstract: In a preferred aspect, methods are provided that comprise a) providing a semiconductor substrate comprising a patterned mask over a layer to be patterned; b) applying a layer of a first composition over the mask, wherein the composition comprises a polymer and the layer is coated on a sidewall of the mask; c) applying a layer of a second composition over the semiconductor substrate in a volume adjacent the coated sidewall of the mask; and d) removing the first composition from the sidewall of the mask, thereby exposing the layer to be patterned and forming a gap between the mask sidewall and the second composition layer to provide a relief image. The methods find particular applicability in semiconductor device manufacture.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a block copolymer comprising a first block derived from a vinyl aromatic monomer; and a second block derived from an acrylate monomer; where a chi parameter that measures interactions between the first block and the second block is greater than or equal to about 0.05, when measured at 240° C. Disclosed herein too is a method comprising polymerizing a vinyl aromatic monomer to form a first block; and polymerizing a second block onto the first block to form a block copolymer; where the second block is derived by polymerizing an acrylate monomer; and where the block copolymer has a chi parameter of greater than or equal to about 0.05, when measured at 240° C.; where the chi parameter is a measure of interactions between the first block and the second block.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for doping a substrate, comprising disposing a coating of a composition comprising a copolymer, a dopant precursor and a solvent on a substrate; where the copolymer is capable of phase segregating and embedding the dopant precursor while in solution; and annealing the substrate at a temperature of 750 to 1300° C. for 0.1 second to 24 hours to diffuse the dopant into the substrate. Disclosed herein too is a semiconductor substrate comprising embedded dopant domains of diameter 3 to 30 nanometers; where the domains comprise Group 13 or Group 15 atoms, wherein the embedded spherical domains are located within 30 nanometers of the substrate surface.

Abstract: Some embodiments include methods of forming patterns. A first mask is formed over a material. The first mask has features extending therein and defines a first pattern. The first pattern has a first level of uniformity across a distribution of the features. A brush layer is formed across the first mask and within the features to narrow the features and create a second mask from the first mask. The second mask has a second level of uniformity across the narrowed features which is greater than the first level of uniformity. A pattern is transferred from the second mask into the material.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a composition comprising a first block copolymer that comprises a first block and a second block; where the first block has a higher surface energy than the second block; a second block copolymer that comprises a first block and a second block; where the first block of the first block copolymer is chemically the same as or similar to the first block of the second block copolymer and the second block of the first block copolymer is chemically the same as or similar to the second block of the second block copolymer; where the weight percent based on total solids of the first block of the second block copolymer is greater than that of the first block of the first block copolymer; where the first block copolymer phase separates into a first morphology of cylindrical or lamellar domains when disposed singly on a substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an article comprising a substrate; upon which is disposed a composition comprising: a first block copolymer that comprises a first block and a second block; where the first block has a higher surface energy than the second block; a second block copolymer that comprises a first block and a second block; where the first block of the first block copolymer is chemically the same as or similar to the first block of the second block copolymer and the second block of the first block copolymer is chemically the same as or similar to the second block of the second block copolymer; where the first and the second block copolymer have a chi parameter greater than 0.04 at a temperature of 200° C.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a composition comprising a graft block copolymer comprising a copolymer comprising a backbone polymer; and a first graft polymer that comprises a surface energy reducing moiety; the first graft polymer being grafted onto the backbone polymer; where the surface energy reducing moiety comprises a fluorine atom, a silicon atom, or a combination of a fluorine atom and a silicon atom; a photoacid generator; and a crosslinking agent.

Abstract: Some embodiments include methods of forming patterns. A first mask is formed over a material. The first mask has features extending therein and defines a first pattern. The first pattern has a first level of uniformity across a distribution of the features. A brush layer is formed across the first mask and within the features to narrow the features and create a second mask from the first mask. The second mask has a second level of uniformity across the narrowed features which is greater than the first level of uniformity. A pattern is transferred from the second mask into the material.