Polymer Solution Condensation for High-Concentration Thick-Film Resists
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing polymer solutions for resist compositions, particularly for thick films, face challenges in achieving high polymer concentrations and maintaining desired solvent ratios, leading to inefficiencies and increased production costs due to solvent impurities and precipitation issues.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a first condensation step, prepolymer solution preparation, and a second condensation step, along with solvent replacement and component adjustment, to produce a polymer solution with a high polymer concentration and desired solvent ratio, using a mixed solvent system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a solid polymer is thoroughly dried to remove polymerization solvents and purification solvents, then impurity content is reduced, but the polymer is decomposed or denatured due to heat and production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The polymer is maintained in a wet state immediately after polymerization and purification, and this wet polymer is directly used for subsequent processing without thorough drying. The polymerization solvent and purification solvent are removed by distillation under reduced pressure at a temperature not higher than 60°C, which prevents thermal decomposition while achieving the required purity level.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a large amount of solid polymer is re-dissolved in solvent to achieve homogeneous solution, then solution uniformity is improved, but production time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The polymer is kept in a continuous solution state from polymerization through purification to final product formulation, avoiding the interruption of drying and re-dissolving. The wet polymer obtained after purification is directly dissolved in the resist solvent under reduced pressure at controlled temperature, maintaining solution continuity and eliminating time-consuming drying and re-dissolving steps.
3Quantity of substance
If polymer concentration is increased for thick film resist, then film thickness capability is improved, but solvent composition control becomes more difficult and precipitation risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The polymer solution is concentrated to the desired high polymer concentration by distilling off the polymerization solvent and purification solvent under reduced pressure at a temperature not higher than 60°C. This controlled parameter change allows achievement of high polymer concentration while maintaining the desired solvent composition ratio without causing precipitation, as the distillation process selectively removes specific solvents while preserving the polymer-solvent balance.
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 efficient production of polymer solutions suitable for resist compositions, particularly for thick films, with high polymer concentrations and precise solvent ratios, reducing production time and costs while minimizing solvent impurities.
Implementation Method 1
condensing a polymer solution under reduced pressure
Implementation Method 2
condensing a polymer solution under reduced pressure to a polymer concentration of 0.5 C % by mass or more
Data Source
AI summary
[Problem] To provide a method capable of efficiently mass-producing a polymer solution which is useful for preparation of a resist composition for thick films, which has a high polymer concentration and which contains a plurality of solvents at a desired ratio.[Solution] A method for producing a polymer solution containing C % by mass of a polymer in a mixed solvent of at least two or more solvents mixed at a predetermined mass ratio, in which an objective polymer solution is produced by estimating the polymer concentration and the solvent composition ratio of a “prepolymer solution” in which the solvent composition ratio in condensation of a polymer solution containing all the solvents, to an objective concentration C % by mass, is also just a predetermined value, thereby preparing and then condensing the prepolymer solution.