Negative Resist Composition for High Resolution EUV Lithography
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current negative resist compositions face challenges in achieving high resolution and low line edge roughness while maintaining sensitivity and stability, particularly in semiconductor microfabrication, where existing materials often suffer from swelling, dewetting, and poor line width stability during electron beam writing.
Innovation Solution
A negative resist composition is developed using a phenolic compound with multiple phenolic hydroxyl groups and specific substituents, functioning as both the resist substrate and crosslinking agent, with a high molecular weight range of 400 to 2,500, to enhance film uniformity and crosslinking ability, allowing for high resolution and low line edge roughness without the need for additional crosslinking agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If polymer materials with high molecular weight are used as alkali-soluble resin, then the resist composition has good film-forming ability, but the resolution and line edge roughness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the molecular weight parameter of the alkali-soluble resin from conventional high molecular weight (5000 or more) to low molecular weight (400-2500), which fundamentally alters the material properties to achieve both good film-forming ability and high resolution with low line edge roughness
2Manufacturing precision
If molecular resist based on cationic polymerization is used, then sensitivity and resolution are improved, but dimensional stability deteriorates and dewetting occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical structure parameters of the molecular resist by introducing specific functional groups (carboxyl groups with pKa 2.0-6.0 and hydroxyl groups) and controlling molecular weight (400-2500), which improves dimensional stability while maintaining high resolution and prevents dewetting during coating
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces specific functional groups at specific locations in the molecular structure - carboxyl groups for crosslinking ability and hydroxyl groups for hydrogen bonding - to locally enhance specific properties without compromising overall dimensional stability
3Use of energy by moving object
If chemically amplified photosensitive composition is used to increase sensitivity, then sensitivity is improved, but the balance between sensitivity, resolution and line edge roughness becomes contradictory
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the molecular weight parameter of the alkali-soluble resin to a specific low range (400-2500) and introduces specific functional groups, which enables the chemically amplified system to achieve high sensitivity while simultaneously maintaining low line edge roughness and high resolution, resolving the contradiction between these parameters
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 high sensitivity, high resolution, and low line edge roughness through improved film uniformity and stability, enabling the formation of precise patterns suitable for semiconductor microfabrication and electronic component production.
Implementation Method 1
When such a photosensitive composition is exposed to light, a crosslinking bond is formed between the resin and crosslinking agent by the action of acid produced from the acid generator component by the exposure; therefore, the photosensitive composition is changed from an alkali-soluble composition to an alkali-insoluble composition
Implementation Method 2
an acid generator component which produces acid by exposure to light
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a negative resin composition which can produce a pattern with high sensitivity, high resolution and low line edge roughness in pattern formation by exposure to electron beams or EUV, a method for producing a relief pattern and an electronic component using the negative resist composition.Disclosed is a negative resist composition comprising a phenolic compound (A) which has: two or more phenolic hydroxyl groups per molecule; one or more substituents of one or more kinds selected from the group consisting of a hydroxymethyl group and an alkoxymethyl group per molecule in the ortho-position of any of the phenolic hydroxyl groups; and a molecular weight of 400 to 2,500, wherein the content of the phenolic compound (A) is 70% by weight or more of the total solid content of the negative resist composition.