Polymer Resist Composition for Semiconductor Patterning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Chemically amplified photoresists used in semiconductor manufacturing face issues such as increased surface roughness and decreased pattern uniformity due to acid diffusion, making it difficult to control as semiconductor processes become miniaturized, and require high exposure doses to change physical properties effectively.
Innovation Solution
A polymer with specific repeating units that change solubility in response to low-dose exposure, used in a resist composition and pattern forming method involving a high-energy beam and developer, eliminating the need for acid-labile groups and allowing for patterning without chemical amplification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If chemically amplified photoresist is used to enable patterning by changing solubility with acid generation, then pattern formation is enabled, but surface roughness increases and pattern uniformity decreases due to acid diffusion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the photoacid generator and acid-labile group components from the resist system entirely. Instead of using chemically amplified photoresist that generates acid, the invention employs a polymer that directly changes its solubility properties upon exposure to high-energy beams, eliminating the harmful acid diffusion effect while maintaining pattern formation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a polymer with specific repeating units (Formula 1 or Formula 2) as an intermediary material that mediates between the high-energy beam exposure and the solubility change. This polymer acts as a direct mediator that converts exposure energy into solubility modification without requiring acid generation, thereby avoiding acid diffusion issues.
2Use of energy by moving object
If chemically amplified photoresist is used for patterning, then solubility change is achieved, but exposure dose requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the resist mechanism from chemical amplification (acid-catalyzed deprotection) to direct physical-chemical response (exposure-induced solubility change). The polymer's repeating units are specifically designed to undergo solubility modification when exposed to high-energy beams, eliminating the need for high exposure doses required by chemically amplified systems.
3Length of moving object
If semiconductor process is miniaturized to achieve smaller features, then manufacturing capability is improved, but control over acid diffusion becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the acid generation mechanism entirely from the resist system. By removing the photoacid generator and acid-labile groups, the invention prevents acid diffusion problems that become increasingly difficult to control as feature sizes are reduced in miniaturized semiconductor processes.
4Manufacturing precision
If attempts are made to develop materials that change physical properties by exposure, then pattern formation is enabled, but high dose requirement for exposure remains
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite polymer structure containing specific repeating units (Formula 1 or Formula 2) with carefully selected functional groups. This composite material design enables direct exposure-response behavior where the polymer's solubility changes efficiently upon high-energy beam exposure, achieving pattern formation at lower doses compared to conventional materials.
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 polymer composition enables precise control over pattern formation with improved uniformity and reduced exposure dose requirements, enhancing storage stability and sensitivity, and forming high-quality micropatterns with reduced foreign material residue.
Implementation Method 1
a polymer which changes solubility with respect to a developer in response to exposure with a high-energy beam
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a polymer, a resist composition including the same, and a method of forming a pattern using the resist composition, the polymer including one or more of a first repeating unit represented by Formula 1 and a second repeating unit represented by Formula 2, and free of a repeating unit of which a structure changes by an acid:In Formulae 1 and 2, R11 to R16, b12, X−, R21 to R24, b22, and Y are as described in the specification.