M. Eng. (Oxford) Thesis Research:

My research concerns the use of diblock copolymer thin films in the production of periodic structures with length scales down in the nanometer range. By using shear to impose order over areas of square centimetres and common microfabrication techniques, gold nanowire arrays with a width of 24 nm and a periodicity of 37 nm were produced. Homopolymer additions were found to be a further tool to control the morphology of the templating film. Work on the effect of different molecular weight homopolymer additions on the morphology of diblock copolymer thin films and mechanisms for these morphological transitions are put forward. A theory for the mechanism by which monolayers of cylinders shear align is also presented.