Alternation of thin film morphology with monomer modifications

The morphologies of a group of well-defined fluorine-containing copolymers, poly(methyl methacrylate)-b-poly(perfluoroalkyl methacrylate) (PMMA-b-PFMA) with chemical compositions on silicon substrates have been investigated. Thin polymer coatings were prepared on silicon substrates by spin coating from polymer solutions of varying composition and suspended in varying solvents and characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM) tapping mode height and phase traces. By varying the chemical compositions slightly in the copolymers, alternation of morphologies can be achieved, which provides a unique way to engineer the polymeric coatings on substrates with varying mechanical and surface properties.