Exceptional Lithography Sensitivity Boosted by Hexafluoroisopropanols in Photoresists
Advanced lithography requires highly sensitive photoresists to improve the lithographic efficiency, and it is critical, yet challenging, to develop high-sensitivity photoresists and imaging strategies. Here, we report a novel strategy for ultra-high sensitivity using hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP)-con...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/16/6/825 |
| _version_ | 1797239546119716864 |
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| author | Junjun Liu Dong Wang Yitan Li Haihua Wang Huan Chen Qianqian Wang Wenbing Kang |
| author_facet | Junjun Liu Dong Wang Yitan Li Haihua Wang Huan Chen Qianqian Wang Wenbing Kang |
| author_sort | Junjun Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Advanced lithography requires highly sensitive photoresists to improve the lithographic efficiency, and it is critical, yet challenging, to develop high-sensitivity photoresists and imaging strategies. Here, we report a novel strategy for ultra-high sensitivity using hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP)-containing fluoropolymer photoresists. The incorporation of HFIP, with its strong electrophilic property and the electron-withdrawing effect of the fluorine atoms, significantly increases the acidity of the photoresist after exposure, enabling imaging without conventional photoacid generators (PAGs). The HFIP-containing photoresist has been evaluated by electron beam lithography to achieve a trench of ~40 nm at an extremely low dose of 3 μC/cm<sup>2</sup>, which shows a sensitivity enhancement of ~10 times compared to the commercial system involving PAGs, revealing its high sensitivity and high-resolution features. Our results demonstrate a new type of PAGs and a novel approach to higher-performance imaging beyond conventional photoresist performance tuning. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:53:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dc787fc3677341dc82b0d4c73452f38a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:53:15Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-dc787fc3677341dc82b0d4c73452f38a2024-03-27T14:01:26ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602024-03-0116682510.3390/polym16060825Exceptional Lithography Sensitivity Boosted by Hexafluoroisopropanols in PhotoresistsJunjun Liu0Dong Wang1Yitan Li2Haihua Wang3Huan Chen4Qianqian Wang5Wenbing Kang6National Engineering Research Center for Colloidal Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, ChinaNational Engineering Research Center for Colloidal Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, ChinaNational Engineering Research Center for Colloidal Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, ChinaNational Engineering Research Center for Colloidal Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, ChinaNational Engineering Research Center for Colloidal Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, ChinaNational Engineering Research Center for Colloidal Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, ChinaNational Engineering Research Center for Colloidal Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, ChinaAdvanced lithography requires highly sensitive photoresists to improve the lithographic efficiency, and it is critical, yet challenging, to develop high-sensitivity photoresists and imaging strategies. Here, we report a novel strategy for ultra-high sensitivity using hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP)-containing fluoropolymer photoresists. The incorporation of HFIP, with its strong electrophilic property and the electron-withdrawing effect of the fluorine atoms, significantly increases the acidity of the photoresist after exposure, enabling imaging without conventional photoacid generators (PAGs). The HFIP-containing photoresist has been evaluated by electron beam lithography to achieve a trench of ~40 nm at an extremely low dose of 3 μC/cm<sup>2</sup>, which shows a sensitivity enhancement of ~10 times compared to the commercial system involving PAGs, revealing its high sensitivity and high-resolution features. Our results demonstrate a new type of PAGs and a novel approach to higher-performance imaging beyond conventional photoresist performance tuning.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/16/6/825hexafluoroisopropanolhigh sensitivityphotoresistphotoacid generation |
| spellingShingle | Junjun Liu Dong Wang Yitan Li Haihua Wang Huan Chen Qianqian Wang Wenbing Kang Exceptional Lithography Sensitivity Boosted by Hexafluoroisopropanols in Photoresists Polymers hexafluoroisopropanol high sensitivity photoresist photoacid generation |
| title | Exceptional Lithography Sensitivity Boosted by Hexafluoroisopropanols in Photoresists |
| title_full | Exceptional Lithography Sensitivity Boosted by Hexafluoroisopropanols in Photoresists |
| title_fullStr | Exceptional Lithography Sensitivity Boosted by Hexafluoroisopropanols in Photoresists |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exceptional Lithography Sensitivity Boosted by Hexafluoroisopropanols in Photoresists |
| title_short | Exceptional Lithography Sensitivity Boosted by Hexafluoroisopropanols in Photoresists |
| title_sort | exceptional lithography sensitivity boosted by hexafluoroisopropanols in photoresists |
| topic | hexafluoroisopropanol high sensitivity photoresist photoacid generation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/16/6/825 |
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