High refractive index and high transparency HfO2 nanocomposites for next generation lithography

Abstract

HfO 2 nanoparticles stabilized with selected ligands possess high refractive index and low absorbance under 193 nm radiation. These materials combined with an appropriate photopolymer were used as a nanocomposite photoresist. The resulting nanocomposite materials were used successfully for high resolution patterning.

EUV photofragmentation study of hybrid nonchemically amplified resists containing antimony as an absorption enhancer

“…[2][3][4] The concepts to be considered, among others, include essentially non-chemically amplied resists (n-CARs) and hybrids. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] The design paradigm has to incorporate the basic principles of conventional resists superimposed with the specic requirements of EUVL for attaining the lower nodes. 12,15,16 The interaction of the resist thin lms with high energy EUV photons (13.5 nm) is a very complex process triggered by EUV radiation that breaks the chemical bonds and simultaneously produces ablation and a high yield of secondary electrons.…”

Development of optically transparent ZnS/poly(vinylpyrrolidone) nanocomposite films with high refractive indices and high Abbe numbers

“…In the past decades, development of optical materials with high refractive indices has received wide attention 10–14. One of the common approaches is to introduce characteristic substituents such as aromatic rings and sulfur atoms of high molar refractions and low molar volumes to the polymers in order to improve their refractive indices 15.…”

“…Another convenient and effective method of increasing the refractive index of materials is to introduce high refractive index inorganic building blocks such as TiO 2 , ZnO, PbS, ZnS, and so forth, into organic matrices at the nanoscale 23. For instance, Prasad et al successfully prepared SiO 2 /TiO 2 /poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) composite materials with controlled refractive index in the range of 1.49–1.65 at 633 nm by varying the ratio of SiO 2 to TiO 2 11. Recently, Yang coworkers incorporated ZnS nanoparticles (NPs) into several polymer matrices with high nanophase contents for improving the refractive indices of the nanocomposites 24–29…”

Oxide or carbide nanoparticles synthesized by laser ablation of a bulk Hf target in liquids and their structural, optical, and dielectric properties

“…Hafnia nanoparticles find applications as luminescent nanomaterials [3], in the medical field for nanoscale radiotherapy of tumor cells by achieving localized intracellular high energy gamma/x-ray radiation dose deposit (due to their high-Z number) [4], in the fabrication of nanocomposites with polymers to be used as γ-ray scintillators [5], as fillers in proton conducting membranes for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells, in high etch resistance lithographic photoresists for EUV patterning [6] and others.…”