Polymer melts and polymer solutions near patterned surfaces

We present analytical solutions for density profiles of homopolymer melts a nd of the mathematically equivalent, incompressible polymer solutions near heterogenous, periodically patterned surfaces. The theory employs an analyt ic density functional-self-consistent field theory, and particular applicat ions consider striped and checkerboard patterns. The computations illustrat e the competing influences of the pattern size and the bulk correlation len gth xi on the density profile both at the surface and orthogonal to the sur face. The density profiles are determined by the bulk correlation length xi if the thickness of the stripes L is larger than 2 xi and by L if L < 2 xi . (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(00)51713-9].