Resist Composition Bulky Acid Quencher Resolution Sensitivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
As feature sizes in microelectronic devices decrease, image blurs due to acid diffusion become a significant issue, affecting the resolution and edge roughness of patterns in resist compositions used in lithography.
Innovation Solution
A resist composition is developed that incorporates a base polymer with a sulfonium salt structure, where the polymer has trifluoromethoxybenzenesulfonamide, difluoromethoxybenzenesulfonamide, trifluoromethoxybenzenesulfonimide, or difluoromethoxybenzenesulfonimide anions bonded to its backbone, functioning as an effective quencher to suppress acid diffusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If acid diffusion is suppressed by reducing temperature and/or time of post-exposure bake, then resolution is improved, but sensitivity and contrast are drastically reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the acid generator by using a sulfonium or iodonium salt capable of generating a bulky acid, which has a larger steric hindrance and thus suppresses acid diffusion even at standard post-exposure bake conditions, maintaining both resolution and sensitivity
2Manufacturing precision
If acid diffusion is suppressed by using a sulfonium or iodonium salt capable of generating bulky acid, then resolution is improved, but sensitivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite resist composition containing multiple components: a polymer with specific functional groups, a sulfonium or iodonium salt as acid generator, and a base polymer with specific properties. This composite structure allows the bulky acid to suppress diffusion while the other components maintain sensitivity through synergistic effects
3Productivity
If conventional quenchers are used, then sensitivity is maintained, but acid diffusion is not sufficiently suppressed, leading to increased LWR
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the properties of the quencher by using a base polymer with specific pKa characteristics and functional groups that can effectively neutralize the bulky acid, thereby suppressing acid diffusion and reducing LWR while maintaining sensitivity through optimized chemical parameters
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 resist composition achieves reduced line width roughness (LWR), improved critical dimension uniformity (CDU), high resolution, and a wide process margin by effectively suppressing acid diffusion and preventing quencher agglomeration.
Implementation Method 1
the addition of an acid generator capable of generating a bulky acid
Implementation Method 2
image blurs due to acid diffusion become a problem
Implementation Method 3
a base polymer having a sulfonium salt structure having a trifluoromethoxybenzenesulfonamide, difluoromethoxybenzenesulfonamide, trifluoromethoxybenzenesulfonimide or difluoromethoxybenzenesulfonimide anion bonded to its backbone
Data Source
AI summary
The resist composition exhibits a high sensitivity, reduced LWR, and improved CDU. The resist composition can form a pattern by using the resist composition. The resist composition comprises a base polymer of sulfonium salt structure having a trifluoromethoxybenzenesulfonamide, difluoromethoxybenzenesulfonamide, trifluoromethoxybenzenesulfonimide or difluoromethoxybenzenesulfonimide anion bonded to its backbone offers a high sensitivity, reduced LWR and improved CDU.