In situ dissolution analysis of EUV resists

Toshiro Itani; Julius Joseph Santillan

doi:10.1117/12.878670

15 April 2011 In situ dissolution analysis of EUV resists

Proceedings Volume 7972, Advances in Resist Materials and Processing Technology XXVIII; 79720H (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.878670
Event: SPIE Advanced Lithography, 2011, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

Resist dissolution plays an important role in the optimization of resist materials and processes for next-generation lithographic technologies. In this paper, an in situ analysis of EUV resist dissolution is performed utilizing high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM). Here, the physical changes in EUV resist films are observed in real-time before, during and after the dissolution process. This concept of observing the actual pattern formation of resists during dissolution brings about new ideas in the understanding of the mechanisms that govern the patterning process. Based on this method, resist film swelling of an acryl-based polymer resist during dissolution was found to be controlled by bounding the PAG-anion to the polymer structure. Moreover, a comparison of analysis results between the HS-AFM and the quartz crystal microbalance is also discussed. A similar trend in the amount of resist swelling was obtained for both methods. However, a large difference between these results was observed. Lastly, recent improvements in the system have allowed the in situ characterization of rinse process after dissolution. Initial results have shown that during the standard rinse process with de-ionized water, there is an occurrence of line size narrowing and afterwards, swelling. These results show the potential of HS-AFM in analyzing not only the dissolution characteristics but also the behavior of resists during the rinse process.

Citation Download Citation

Toshiro Itani and Julius Joseph Santillan "In situ dissolution analysis of EUV resists", Proc. SPIE 7972, Advances in Resist Materials and Processing Technology XXVIII, 79720H (15 April 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.878670

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