Aryl sulfonates as neutral photoacid generators (PAGs) for EUV lithography

Robert Sulc; James M. Blackwell; Todd R. Younkin; E. Steve Putna; Katherine Esswein; Antonio G. DiPasquale; Ryan Callahan; Hideaki Tsubaki; Tooru Tsuchihashi

doi:10.1117/12.814279

1 April 2009 Aryl sulfonates as neutral photoacid generators (PAGs) for EUV lithography

Robert Sulc, James M. Blackwell, Todd R. Younkin, E. Steve Putna, Katherine Esswein, Antonio G. DiPasquale, Ryan Callahan, Hideaki Tsubaki, Tooru Tsuchihashi

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7273, Advances in Resist Materials and Processing Technology XXVI; 72733R (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.814279
Event: SPIE Advanced Lithography, 2009, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

EUV lithography (EUVL) is a leading candidate for printing sub-32 nm hp patterns. In order for EUVL to be commercially viable at these dimensions, a continuous evolution of the photoresist material set is required to simultaneously meet the aggressive specifications for resolution, resist sensitivity, LWR, and outgassing rate. Alternative PAG designs, especially if tailored for EUVL, may aid in the formation of a material set that helps achieve these aggressive targets. We describe the preparation, characterization, and lithographic evaluation of aryl sulfonates as non-ionic or neutral photoacid generators (PAGs) for EUVL. Full lithographic characterization is reported for our first generation resist formulation using compound H, MAP-1H-2.5. It is benchmarked against MAP-1P-5.0, which contains the well-known sulfonium PAG, triphenylsulfonium triflate (compound P). Z-factor analysis indicates nZ₃₂ = 81.4 and 16.8 respectively, indicating that our first generation aryl sulfonate formulations require about 4.8x improvement to match the results achieved with a model onium PAG. Improving the acid generation efficiency and use of the generated byproducts is key to the continued optimization of this class of PAGs. To that end, we believe EI-MS fragmentation patterns and molecular simulations can be used to understand and optimize the nature and efficiency of electron-induced PAG fragmentation.

Citation Download Citation

Robert Sulc, James M. Blackwell, Todd R. Younkin, E. Steve Putna, Katherine Esswein, Antonio G. DiPasquale, Ryan Callahan, Hideaki Tsubaki, and Tooru Tsuchihashi "Aryl sulfonates as neutral photoacid generators (PAGs) for EUV lithography", Proc. SPIE 7273, Advances in Resist Materials and Processing Technology XXVI, 72733R (1 April 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.814279

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