Fluorinated Onium Resist Composition for Sensitivity and Storage Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radiation-sensitive compositions for microfabrication in lithography face challenges in balancing sensitivity, critical dimension uniformity (CDU), and storage stability, particularly when using radiation-sensitive onium cations with aromatic rings containing fluorine atoms or groups.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a polymer with acid-labile groups, an anion represented by formula (1), and a radiation-sensitive onium cation containing an aromatic ring with fluorine atoms or groups, which improves sensitivity, CDU, and storage stability by optimizing the basicity of the anion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a radiation-sensitive onium cation with an aromatic ring containing fluorine atoms or groups is used, then sensitivity is improved, but storage stability deteriorates due to sensitivity changes over time
Solution Approach 1:
A basic substance is introduced as an intermediary component to interact with the radiation-sensitive onium cation. This basic substance acts as a mediator that stabilizes the onium cation during storage, preventing sensitivity changes over time while maintaining the high sensitivity required for lithography performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite radiation-sensitive composition by combining the radiation-sensitive onium cation with a basic substance. This composite approach allows the system to simultaneously achieve improved sensitivity from the onium cation and enhanced storage stability from the basic substance, resolving the contradiction between these two properties
2Reliability
If sensitivity is enhanced for better lithography performance, then manufacturing precision may be compromised due to poor CDU
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the basicity parameters of the basic substance used in the composition. By carefully controlling the basicity strength and other parameters of the basic substance, the system achieves a balance where high sensitivity is maintained while critical dimension uniformity is improved, enabling both good lithography performance and manufacturing precision
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 composition achieves superior sensitivity, CDU, and reduced sensitivity changes over time, enabling better lithography performance and resist pattern formation.
Implementation Method 1
a radiation-sensitive composition for use in microfabrication by lithography generates an acid at light-exposed regions upon an irradiation with a radioactive ray, e.g., an electromagnetic wave such as a far ultraviolet ray such as an ArF excimer laser beam (wavelength of 193 nm), a KrF excimer laser beam (wavelength of 248 nm), etc. or an extreme ultraviolet ray (EUV) (wavelength of 13.5 nm)
Implementation Method 2
A chemical reaction that originates from the acid causes a difference between the light-exposed regions and light-unexposed regions in rates of dissolution in a developer solution, whereby a resist pattern is formed on a substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A radiation-sensitive composition contains: a polymer, solubility of which in a developer solution is capable of being altered by an action of an acid; an anion represented by formula (1); and a radiation-sensitive onium cation containing an aromatic ring and at least one fluorine atom or fluorine atom-containing group bonded to the aromatic ring. Ar1 represents a group obtained by removing one hydrogen atom from a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic ring; n is an integer of 1 to 3; R1 represents a single bond or a substituted or unsubstituted divalent hydrocarbon group; L1 represents —O—, (*)n—R2—O—, or —NR3—, wherein in a case in which n is no less than 2, L1 represents (*)n—R2—O—; * denotes a site bonding to Ar1; R2 represents a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group having a valency of (n+1); and R3 represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent hydrocarbon group.