Influence of residual solvent on the absorption of N-methylpyrrolidone by polymer films

Abstract

In this work we test whether residual casting solvent can increase the susceptibility of chemically amplified resist films to airborne contamination by enhancing the rates of diffusion of the contaminant into the film. Results show that residual casting solvent appears to be relatively unimportant in determining the propensity of a polymer film to absorb NMP. Though residual solvent levels can vary widely depending on the characteristics of the polymer, rates of absorption of NMP vapor by the films appear unrelated to the solvent concentration. Relatively small changes in polymer structure can produce a large change in the rate of NMP uptake.