Non-Chemically Amplified Resist Composition for Stable EUV Patterning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing non-chemically amplified resist compositions face challenges in maintaining consistent quality due to variations in purity and atmospheric conditions during production, leading to inconsistent performance in EUV lithography, particularly in controlling acid diffusion and shot noise, which affects critical dimension uniformity and line width roughness.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the preparation of a fundamental resist composition by mixing a carboxy-group-containing polymer, a hypervalent iodine compound, and a solvent, followed by film formation and evaluation on a test substrate, with additional materials added to achieve target film properties, ensuring consistent quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If chemically amplified resist composition is used to enhance sensitivity and contrast through acid diffusion, then sensitivity and contrast are improved, but acid diffusion causes image blurs and resolution degradation in fine patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental mechanism from chemical amplification via acid diffusion to direct photochemical reaction. By using a photoacid generator that directly produces carboxylic acid upon irradiation without requiring thermal diffusion, the patent eliminates image blurring while maintaining sensitivity and contrast enhancement
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal diffusion mechanism (heat-driven acid movement) with a direct photochemical reaction mechanism. The photoacid generator undergoes direct photolysis upon irradiation to produce carboxylic acid in situ, eliminating the need for thermal energy and subsequent diffusion processes that cause image degradation
2Manufacturing precision
If non-chemically amplified resist composition is used to eliminate acid diffusion, then resolution and image clarity are improved, but sensitivity is markedly lowered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite resist system combining a polymer matrix with a photoacid generator containing carboxylic acid groups. This composite structure enables direct photochemical reaction to produce carboxylic acid in situ, providing both high resolution (no diffusion) and high sensitivity (direct reaction mechanism) simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a photoacid generator as an intermediary substance that absorbs irradiation energy and converts it directly into carboxylic acid. This intermediary enables the resist to achieve high sensitivity through direct photochemical reaction while maintaining high resolution by eliminating thermal diffusion processes
3Manufacturing precision
If materials like PMMA or HSQ are used for non-chemically amplified resist, then acid diffusion is eliminated, but shot noise significantly affects critical dimension uniformity and line width roughness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the photochemical reaction mechanism to produce carboxylic acid directly without thermal diffusion. The photoacid generator undergoes direct photolysis to produce carboxylic acid in situ, eliminating both acid diffusion and the need for thermal energy input that amplifies shot noise effects
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal energy input mechanism with direct photochemical reaction. By using a photoacid generator that directly converts irradiation energy into carboxylic acid production, the patent eliminates thermal diffusion and reduces the amplification of shot noise, improving critical dimension uniformity
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 enables the production of a non-chemically amplified resist composition with controlled quality, suitable for patterning processes in semiconductor manufacturing, reducing the impact of shot noise and improving sensitivity and resolution.
Implementation Method 1
a carboxy-group-containing polymer, which has a carboxy group introduced by photoirradiation
Implementation Method 2
the introduction of an element that greatly absorbs EUV light is attracting attention as a means for reducing the influence of shot noise on the side of the resist
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a method for manufacturing a non-chemically amplified resist composition, including, in the following order, the steps of: (i) placing a carboxy-group-containing polymer, a hypervalent iodine compound, and a solvent in a container and mixing together to prepare a fundamental resist composition; (ii) collecting part of the fundamental resist composition, forming a resist film on a test substrate by using the collected fundamental resist composition, and evaluating a film physical property of the resist film; and (iii) adding an additional material to the fundamental resist composition and mixing together to achieve a target film physical property based on an evaluation result of the step (ii). This can provide: a method for manufacturing a non-chemically amplified resist composition whose quality is controlled to be constant; and a patterning process.