Polymer platform dependent characteristics of 193 nm photoresists

Abstract

The development and refinement of 193 nm single layer photoresists has continued to progress at a quick pace. Published resist efforts have historically been partitioned by polymer family: acrylic, addition cyclic olefin, and alternating cyclic olefin/maleic anhydride. The polymer platforms for 193 nm resists have been a radical departure from 248 nm resists, therefore, publications to date have largely focused on the attributes of each specific variety. Since the physical and chemical properties of the aforementioned polymer platforms are very different, it would follow that, in principal, typical formulation strategies should produce varying results in each platform. This paper investigates the effects of three typical photoacid generators and three model polymers on various aspects of lithographic evaluation.