Resin Composition for Lithography Using Crosslinking Agent
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current lithography technologies face challenges in forming ultrafine patterns with line widths of 50 nm or less due to issues like electron scattering, flare light, and temperature-dependent line width variations in semiconductor manufacturing, particularly in electron beam and EUV lithography.
Innovation Solution
An actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition is developed, comprising a resin with a specific repeating unit and a crosslinking agent containing a polar group, which forms hydrogen bonds to improve film density and resist against developer penetration and temperature variations, enhancing the resolution and stability of ultrafine patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If an accelerating voltage of an electron beam is increased to reduce forward scattering, then forward scattering is reduced, but backward scattering is increased, resulting in lower resolution of isolated line patterns
Solution Approach 1:
A low-melting-point metal layer (intermediary layer) is introduced between the resist film and the underlying layer. This intermediary layer absorbs scattered electrons and prevents backward scattering from reaching the resist film, thereby resolving the contradiction between reducing forward scattering (by increasing accelerating voltage) and preventing backward scattering that degrades resolution.
2Manufacturing precision
If a heavy metal light-shielding film is used in photomask blank, then light shielding performance is improved, but backward scattering from the layer below resist layer is increased, making pattern resolution highly likely to decrease
Solution Approach 1:
A low-melting-point metal layer is introduced as an intermediary between the resist film and the heavy metal light-shielding film. This intermediary layer acts as a buffer that absorbs scattered electrons generated by the heavy metal layer, preventing them from reaching the resist film and degrading pattern resolution, while allowing the heavy metal layer to maintain its light-shielding function.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional resist composition is used to form ultrafine patterns with line width of 50 nm or less, then current lithography can be maintained, but line width variation dependent on PEB temperature occurs and high resolution is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the resist composition is optimized to a specific range (80°C to 120°C) to reduce line width variation with PEB temperature. Additionally, a low-melting-point metal layer with melting point below 150°C is introduced, which melts during PEB to fill pattern profiles and reduce line width variations, thereby achieving both high resolution and temperature stability.
4Productivity
If higher accelerating voltage is used to improve sensitivity, then exposure sensitivity is improved, but electron scattering effects (backward scattering) increase, reducing pattern resolution
Solution Approach 1:
A low-melting-point metal layer is introduced as an intermediary between the resist film and the underlying layer. This layer absorbs backward scattered electrons generated at high accelerating voltages, preventing them from degrading pattern resolution in the resist film, thereby enabling the use of higher accelerating voltages to improve sensitivity without sacrificing resolution.
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 composition enables the formation of high-resolution, fine patterns with reduced line width variations, improving the performance in semiconductor manufacturing by suppressing the collapse of line-and-space patterns and maintaining pattern integrity across varying temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
a crosslinking agent (C) containing a polar group... which forms hydrogen bonds to improve film density and resist against developer penetration
Data Source
AI summary
An actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition includes a resin (A) containing a repeating unit represented by General Formula (4) and a crosslinking agent (C) containing a polar group, in which the crosslinking agent (C) is a compound represented by General Formula (1) or a compound in which two to five structures represented by General Formula (1) are connected via a linking group or a single bond represented by L1 in General Formula (3).