Resist Composition for Thick Film Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current chemically amplified resist compositions face challenges in maintaining sensitivity and resolution during light exposure as the resist film thickness increases, leading to issues like decreased development resolution, shape tapering, and increased risk of cracking.
Innovation Solution
A resist composition that generates an acid upon light exposure, comprising a resin component with constitutional units containing acid decomposable groups and no acid dissociable groups, which changes solubility in a developing solution due to acid action, improving transparency and pattern shape.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the film thickness of the resist film is increased to form thick resist patterns, then the resist can provide sufficient coverage and protection, but the sensitivity decreases and resolution deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the resist material by introducing a specific resin component with acid decomposable groups and controlling the plasticizer content to 50 parts by mass or less per 100 parts of resin component. This parameter optimization enables the resist to maintain both thick film capability and high sensitivity, resolving the contradiction between film thickness and resolution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite resist composition combining a resin component with acid decomposable groups and a plasticizer component with specific structural constraints. This composite material structure allows the resist to achieve both adequate light transmission for sensitivity and sufficient film thickness for coverage, eliminating the trade-off between these properties.
2Volume of moving object
If the film thickness of the resist film is increased, then more coverage is achieved, but cracking is more likely to occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the resin component structure by incorporating specific constitutional units (a1, a10, a5) and controlling the plasticizer content parameter to 50 parts by mass or less per 100 parts of resin component. This parameter control prevents excessive film thickness while maintaining crack resistance, allowing thick film formation without compromising reliability.
3Illumination intensity
If the amount of hydroxystyrene-derived constitutional unit is reduced to improve transparency, then light transmission increases, but CD difference between upper and bottom portions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the resin component structure by introducing specific acid decomposable groups (a1) and controlling the proportion of hydroxystyrene-derived units. This parameter optimization achieves adequate transparency for thick film exposure while maintaining uniform acid generation throughout the film thickness, preventing CD variation between upper and bottom portions.
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 appropriate viscosity and handleability, reduces cracking, and forms a thick resist pattern with a satisfactory shape, while maintaining sensitivity and resolution even at increased film thickness.
Implementation Method 1
a chemically amplified resist composition containing a base material component whose solubility in a developing solution is changed due to an action of an acid and an acid generation agent component that generates an acid upon light exposure
Data Source
AI summary
A resist composition including a resin component that has a constitutional unit containing an acid decomposable group whose polarity is increased due to an action of an acid, a constitutional unit represented by General Formula (a10-1), and a constitutional unit represented by General Formula (a5-1), and a resin component that has a constitutional unit represented by General Formula (z1-1) and no acid dissociable group. In the formulae, Wax1 represents an aromatic hydrocarbon group, Ra5 represents an acid non-dissociable aliphatic cyclic group in which some carbon atoms forming a ring skeleton may be substituted with oxygen atoms, and Rz0 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group containing no acid dissociable group