Radiation-Sensitive Resin Composition for EUV Resist Patterns

The patent uses a composite resin composition containing multiple polymer components: a first polymer with carboxylic acid groups (adhesive promoter), a second polymer with hydroxyl groups (solubility controller), and a third polymer with lactone structures (pattern adhesion enhancer). This multi-component composite approach achieves both high sensitivity and broad process window by combining the synergistic effects of different functional polymers.

The patent optimizes specific parameter ranges: carboxylic acid content (0.1-10 mmol/g), hydroxyl group content (0.1-5 mmol/g), lactone structure content (5-50 wt%), and polymer molecular weights. By precisely controlling these parameters, the composition achieves improved sensitivity while maintaining a broad process window that absorbs fluctuations in exposure and development conditions.

The patent changes the chemical parameters of the resin composition by incorporating specific functional groups that enhance acid generation efficiency and control dissolution rates. This allows high sensitivity at moderate exposure intensities while maintaining precise pattern control, as the functional groups provide consistent chemical responses that reduce variability from exposure fluctuations.

The carboxylic acid groups and hydroxyl groups act as intermediary functional groups that mediate between the exposure light and the final pattern formation. These groups provide a buffer that absorbs fluctuations in exposure conditions and translates them into consistent dissolution behavior during development, thereby maintaining pattern quality across varying conditions.

Instead of using a single complex polymer, the patent employs a composite of three relatively simple polymers, each with a specific functional role. This approach maintains ease of manufacture for each individual polymer while achieving superior overall performance through their synergistic combination, avoiding the need for synthesizing a single highly complex polymer structure.

The patent segments the adhesive and functional requirements into three separate polymer components, each optimized for a specific function. This segmentation allows each polymer to be manufactured using relatively simple, well-established synthesis methods, while the combination delivers the high resolution and adhesive performance that would require much more complex single-polymer structures.