Resist Composition with Fluorine Additive for EUV Lithography

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Solution Overview

Problem

As semiconductor and liquid crystal display manufacturing progresses, the miniaturization of resist patterns requires improved lithography properties and reduced defects, such as surface defects and pattern shape issues, which existing resist materials struggle to achieve, especially with the challenges of acid diffusion control in extreme ultraviolet lithography.

Innovation Solution

A resist composition is developed that generates acid upon exposure, featuring a base material component with increased acid-decomposable groups and a fluorine additive component with base dissociable groups, enhancing solubility changes in developing solutions to improve pattern formation and reduce defects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a chemically amplified resist composition is used to improve sensitivity and resolution in EUV lithography, then lithography properties are improved, but acid diffusion control becomes problematic

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelithography propertiesVSAvoidacid diffusion control

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by incorporating specific structural units (a10) with aromatic hydrocarbon groups into the base material component at controlled ratios (10-70 mol%). These localized structural modifications create regions with different acid diffusion characteristics, enabling precise control over acid propagation while maintaining overall resist performance for fine pattern formation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs composite materials by combining the base material component (A) containing structural units (a1) with acid-decomposable groups and structural units (a10) with aromatic hydrocarbon groups, alongside the fluorine additive component (F) with base dissociable groups. This composite structure enables simultaneous achievement of high sensitivity, resolution, and acid diffusion control in the resist composition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Length of moving object

If the resist pattern is miniaturized to several tens of nanometers, then fine pattern formation is achieved, but defects such as surface defects and pattern shape issues increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepattern sizeVSAvoiddefect reduction

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the chemical composition parameters of the resist material. Specifically, it controls the ratio of structural units (a10) with aromatic hydrocarbon groups at 10-70 mol% and structural units (a1) with acid-decomposable groups at 30-70 mol%, while also controlling the ratio of base material component (A) to fluorine additive component (F) at 95:5 to 50:50. These parameter optimizations enable defect-free fine pattern formation at several tens of nanometer scale.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If the wavelength of exposure light source is shortened to achieve miniaturization, then resolution is improved, but acid diffusion control becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveresolutionVSAvoidacid diffusion control

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by incorporating specific structural units (a10) with aromatic hydrocarbon groups into the base material component at controlled ratios (10 mol % or more). These localized structural modifications create regions with different acid diffusion characteristics, enabling precise control over acid propagation while maintaining overall resist performance for fine pattern formation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite 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 resist composition effectively improves lithography properties and reduces defects in resist patterns, enabling the formation of fine patterns with enhanced sensitivity and resolution, particularly in extreme ultraviolet lithography.

Implementation Method 1

a resist composition which generates an acid upon exposure

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhotoacid generation: Photopolymerisation

Implementation Method 2

a structural unit (a1) which contains an acid-decomposable group having polarity increased under the action of an acid

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcid-catalyzed polarity increase:

Implementation Method 3

a fluorine additive component (F) which exhibits the decomposability with respect to an alkali developing solution

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBase dissociation:

Data Source

PatentUS10514602B2Resist composition and method for forming resist pattern

Publication Date: 2019.12.24 TOKYO OHKA KOGYO CO LTD

AI summary

A resist composition includes a base material component and a fluorine additive component. The fluorine additive component contains a fluororesin component having a structural unit containing a base dissociable group. The base material component contains a structural unit containing an acid-decomposable group in an amount of 30 mol % or more and an amount of 10 mol % or more of a resin component having a structural unit represented by formula (a10-1):where R is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, or a halogenated alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, Yax1 is a single bond or a divalent linking group, Wax1 is a (nax1+1) valent aromatic hydrocarbon group, and nax1 is an integer of 1 to 3.