Negative Tone Resist Composition for Solvent Developing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current resist materials for advanced lithography techniques, particularly in semiconductor and liquid crystal display element production, face challenges in achieving high resolution and sensitivity with the increasing miniaturization of patterns, as well as maintaining film retentiveness and pattern quality during the solvent developing process.
Innovation Solution
A negative tone resist composition is developed, comprising a base component with decreased solubility in organic solvents, a photodecomposable quencher generating acid with a pKa of 2.0 or more, and a fluorine additive containing a fluorine-containing polymeric compound. This composition forms a resist film that, upon exposure, reduces solubility in the developing solution at exposed areas, allowing for selective removal of unexposed portions and maintaining film integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a chemically amplified resist composition is used to achieve high resolution and sensitivity, then lithography properties are improved, but film retentiveness deteriorates during solvent developing process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the base resin by introducing specific structural units (cyclic carbonate, cyclic carboxylate, and hydroxyl groups) that respond differently to acid catalysis. These parameter changes enable the resin to maintain appropriate solubility characteristics in organic developing solutions while achieving high lithography performance through acid-generated polarity changes upon exposure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite resin structure by combining multiple functional units within the base resin molecule: cyclic carbonate groups for acid-responsive polarity change, cyclic carboxylate groups for enhanced solubility control, and hydroxyl groups for hydrogen bonding interactions. This composite structure enables simultaneous achievement of high lithography properties and film retentiveness
2Manufacturing precision
If the base resin polarity is increased upon exposure to form negative pattern, then exposed portions become insoluble, but unexposed portions are removed causing poor film retentiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating spatial differentiation in resin properties: unexposed regions maintain the original polar character and solubility in organic developing solutions, while exposed regions undergo acid-catalyzed polarity inversion becoming insoluble. This local property differentiation enables selective removal of unexposed portions while preserving exposed portions with high fidelity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the conventional solubility behavior by designing a base resin that becomes insoluble upon acid exposure rather than soluble. The cyclic carbonate and cyclic carboxylate groups undergo acid-catalyzed transformations that reverse polarity, causing exposed portions to precipitate and remain while unexposed portions are removed by organic developing solution
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 resist composition achieves excellent lithography properties, including improved film retentiveness and pattern quality, by controlling acid diffusion and solubility changes, enabling the formation of precise resist patterns with enhanced sensitivity and resolution.
Implementation Method 1
a photodecomposable quencher (D0) which generates acid having a pKa of 2.0 or more
Implementation Method 2
an acid generator component that generates acid upon exposure
Data Source
AI summary
A negative tone resist composition for solvent developing including: a base component (A) which exhibits decreased solubility in an organic solvent under the action of acid; a photodecomposable quencher (D0) which generates acid having a pKa of 2.0 or more; and a fluorine additive (F) containing a fluorine-containing polymeric compound (f) which has a structural unit (f0-1) represented by general formula (f0-1) shown below or a structural unit (f0-2) represented by general formula (f0-2) shown below. In the formulae, R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a halogenated alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms; and Rf1 represents an aliphatic hydrocarbon group containing a fluorine atom.