Towards robust fabrication of non-periodic nanoscale systems via directed self assembly

Robust directed self assembly of non-periodic nanoscale structures is a key tool that would enable various technological breakthroughs. The dynamics of directed self assembly face challenges as a result of the rugged potential energy surface of nanoscale systems. The development of a dynamic model involving a master equation to simulate directed self assembly is presented. The model describes the probability of each possible configuration of a fixed number of nanoparticles as function of time during self assembly. Two case studies demonstrate the ability of the model to represent kinetic traps. In future work, the approach presented will be used for dynamic optimization of self assembly in order to identify optimal routes towards desired nanoscale structures.