Aqueous Developable and CO₂-Sourced Chemical Amplification Photoresist with High Performance

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• The semiconductor industry requires advanced photoresists for integrated circuit miniaturization.
• Polymer resins with carbonate groups show promise due to high transmittance and acid sensitivity.
• Developing environmentally friendly and high-performance photoresist materials is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and evaluate novel aqueous developable CO2-sourced polycarbonates (CO2-PCs) as photoresists.
• To investigate their performance in deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography.
• To assess their potential for future nanomanufacturing applications.

Main Methods:

• Alternating copolymerization of CO2 and epoxides with acid-cleavable groups using a tetranuclear organoborane catalyst.
• Characterization of CO2-PCs as chemical amplification resists in DUV lithography.
• Evaluation of resist performance including sensitivity, contrast, resolution, and etch resistance.

Main Results:

• Synthesized aqueous developable CO2-PCs via controlled copolymerization.
• Achieved a sensitivity of 1.9 mJ/cm2, contrast of 7.9, and 750 nm resolution.
• Demonstrated 38% higher etch resistance compared to poly(tert-butyl acrylate).

Conclusions:

• CO2-sourced polycarbonates are effective chemical amplification resists for DUV lithography.
• The developed photoresists exhibit superior performance compared to commercial alternatives.
• These materials hold significant potential for DUV and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) nanomanufacturing.