Carboxylic Acid Ester Resist Composition for Standing Wave Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithography processes face challenges in reducing standing waves, which affect pattern dimensional accuracy, require additional anti-reflective coatings, and lead to non-uniform resist pattern widths and pattern collapse.
Innovation Solution
A method using a composition comprising a carboxylic acid ester to reduce standing waves in the lithography process, where the carboxylic acid ester is applied to a substrate to form a film, potentially without a bottom anti-reflective coating, and the composition includes a solvent and a film-forming component, enhancing acid movement control and sensitivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If anti-reflective coating is formed on substrate to reduce standing wave, then standing wave is reduced, but process complexity increases and additional removal step is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the standing wave reduction function from the separate anti-reflective coating layer and integrates it into the resist composition itself through carboxylic acid ester additives. This eliminates the need for a distinct anti-reflective coating layer and its subsequent removal step, reducing process complexity while maintaining standing wave suppression.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions into the resist composition: the carboxylic acid ester serves both as a standing wave reduction agent and as part of the resist system. This merging of functions eliminates the separate anti-reflective coating process while achieving the same optical effect.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional resist composition is used, then manufacturing is simple, but standing wave causes poor pattern uniformity and dimensional accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the resist by incorporating carboxylic acid esters with specific molecular structures (formula 1) and concentration ranges (0.1-10 mass%). This parameter change improves pattern uniformity and dimensional accuracy by suppressing standing wave effects while maintaining ease of manufacture through straightforward composition formulation.
3Length of moving object
If shorter wavelength light is used for exposure, then finer patterns are obtained, but dimensional accuracy requirements increase due to standing wave
Solution Approach 1:
The carboxylic acid ester acts as an intermediary substance within the resist composition that mediates the interaction between incident light and the resist material. It suppresses standing wave formation by modifying the optical properties of the resist, thereby enabling finer patterns to be formed with high dimensional accuracy even at short wavelengths.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method effectively reduces standing waves, improves resist pattern uniformity, suppresses pattern collapse, and enhances the yield of the lithography process by controlling acid movement and sensitivity, eliminating the need for additional anti-reflective coatings.
Implementation Method 1
controlling the movement of acids in a chemical process in which fine processing is performed
Data Source
AI summary
A method for using a composition comprising a carboxylic acid ester (A) having a certain structure to reduce standing wave in a lithography process.