Metal-Containing Photoresist Developer Composition for EUV Lithography
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current chemically amplified photoresists face challenges with reduced sensitivity and increased line edge roughness under EUV exposure due to their elemental composition, which affects etching resistance and critical dimension uniformity in semiconductor manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A metal-containing photoresist developer composition incorporating organic solvents and additives such as phosphorous acid-based, hypophosphorous acid-based, and hydroxamic acid-based compounds is used to improve sensitivity and reduce line edge roughness, featuring a method that includes coating, drying, and developing the photoresist film with this composition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If chemically amplified photoresist is used to secure high sensitivity, then sensitivity is improved, but line edge roughness increases and etching resistance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the photoresist by incorporating metal compounds (tin, zinc, calcium, or boron) at specific concentrations (0.1-10 wt%). This compositional parameter change enables the photoresist to achieve both high sensitivity and reduced line edge roughness simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between sensitivity improvement and manufacturing precision maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite photoresist material by combining organic photoresist components with metal compounds. This composite structure provides both the sensitivity enhancement from the chemically amplified photoresist system and the etching resistance and smoothness from the metal compound additives, thus resolving the contradiction between sensitivity and line edge roughness.
2Reliability
If chemically amplified photoresist is used to secure high sensitivity, then sensitivity is improved, but etching resistance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters by adding metal compounds (tin, zinc, calcium, or boron) at controlled concentrations (0.1-10 wt%). This parameter change enhances etching resistance while preserving the high sensitivity characteristics of chemically amplified photoresists, resolving the contradiction between sensitivity improvement and etching resistance maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent develops a composite photoresist formulation combining organic photoresist materials with metal compound additives. This composite material provides both the sensitivity enhancement from the chemically amplified system and the etching resistance from the metal compounds, thus resolving the contradiction between sensitivity and etching resistance.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional photoresist composition is used, then manufacturing process is simple, but absorbance at 13.5 nm wavelength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the elemental composition parameters of the photoresist by incorporating metal compounds containing tin, zinc, calcium, or boron at specific concentrations (0.1-10 wt%). This compositional parameter change increases the absorbance at 13.5 nm wavelength while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing processes, thus resolving the contradiction between process simplicity and light absorbance enhancement.
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 solution minimizes defects in the photoresist film, enhances contrast characteristics, and achieves improved sensitivity and reduced line edge roughness, addressing the limitations of existing photoresists in semiconductor processing.
Implementation Method 1
at least one additive selected from a phosphorous acid-based compound, a hypophosphorous acid-based compound, a sulfurous acid-based compound, and a hydroxamic acid-based compound
Data Source
AI summary
A metal-containing photoresist developer composition includes an organic solvent, and at least one additive selected from a phosphorous acid-based compound, a hypophosphorous acid-based compound, a sulfurous acid-based compound, and a hydroxamic acid-based compound, wherein the additive is included in an amount of about 0.0001 wt % to less than about 1.0 wt %. A method of forming patterns includes step of developing a metal-containing photoresist film using the metal-containing photoresist developer composition.