Performance enhancements with the high opacity multi-trigger resist

Popescu, Carmen; O'Callaghan, Greg; McClelland, Alexandra; Roth, John R.; Lada, Tom; Robinson, Alex P. G.

doi:10.1117/12.2552214

Cited by 6 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…The baseline for the optimization is the previously introduced xMT resist system [12][13][14][15][16][17][18], from which the MTR Gen 1 series resist was developed. The molecular resin has been modified, to increase glass transition temperature (Tg) and to optimize the activation energy of the MTM molecule.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The MTR material is a molecular resist, which utilises ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) and incorporates a unique self-quenching mechanism, known as the multi-trigger mechanism, directly in the chemical pathways, to improve performance. The intrinsic self-quenching mechanism in the MTR material, which has been described before [12][13][14][15][16][17][18] provides an advantage in acid diffusion mitigation and offers a benefit on achieving ultimate resolutions with low edge roughness. After the development of the initial prototype of the resist, MTR Generation 1 (Gen1) was developed, incorporating non-metal organic high-opacity moieties for high photo-absorption.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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EUV lithography patterning using multi-trigger resist

Popescu¹,

O'Callaghan²,

McClelland³

et al. 2023

Advances in Patterning Materials and Processes XL

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Research and development of EUV photoresists capable of supporting future requirements such as high-NA EUV continues. It is foreseen that, to contend with much higher photon-shot noise, resists will require high EUV absorbance to offset the need for thin films in high-NA, where depth of focus may be less than 20nm. We are developing a photoresist based on the multi-trigger concept, which seeks to suppress roughness using a new photoresist mechanism, and which is based on molecular rather than polymeric materials to maximize resolution. MTR Resist absorbance of greater than 18 μm-1 has been measured. Here we present recent NXE3400 results where, by modifying the PAG to optimize the reactions rates in the MTR mechanism, we have reduced the dose requirement compared to the orthodox high opacity MTR resists previously presented. Lines of 14 nm width at p28 nm can be patterned at a dose between 21 mJ/cm2 and 48 mJ/cm2 dependent on formulation ratio, with optimum LWR (3.9 nm, biased) occurring at 43 mJ/cm2 with a film thickness of 20.7 nm. Similarly, we present p34 pillars patterned between 21 mJ/cm2 and 59 mJ/cm2 doses for 17 nm diameter pillars, with a minimum LCDU for 19 nm diameter pillars of 3.05 nm occurring with a 21.7 nm FT at 58 mJ/cm2. The same resist can pattern p36 pillars at 52 mJ/cm2 with an LCDU of 3.44 nm at 18 nm diameter with no measured defects between 15.9 nm and 18.1 nm diameter. The impact of the substrate (such as use of various organic underlayers or SOG layers) on defectivity issues such as bridging or falling pillars will be presented here.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

EUV lithography patterning using multi-trigger resist

Popescu¹,

O'Callaghan²,

McClelland³

et al. 2023

Advances in Patterning Materials and Processes XL

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“…Improvements on the design of these materials led to some excellent and very promising results in resolution, LWR-LER, and sensitivity. Resist formulations based on the multi-trigger concept showed capability to resolve 13.3 nm lines on 28 nm pitch, with 2.97 nm LWR and dose of 26 mJ/cm 2 as well as 14.7 nm lines on 30 nm pitch, with 2.72 nm LWR and dose of 34 mJ/cm 2 [ 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 ].…”

Section: Chemical Directions For Highly Sensitive Resists At Euvmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Sensitivity Resists for EUV Lithography: A Review of Material Design Strategies and Performance Results

Manouras

Argitis

2020

Nanomaterials

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The need for decreasing semiconductor device critical dimensions at feature sizes below the 20 nm resolution limit has led the semiconductor industry to adopt extreme ultra violet (EUV) lithography with exposure at 13.5 nm as the main next generation lithographic technology. The broad consensus on this direction has triggered a dramatic increase of interest on resist materials of high sensitivity especially designed for use in the EUV spectral region in order to meet the strict requirements needed for overcoming the source brightness issues and securing the cost efficiency of the technology. To this direction both fundamental studies on the radiation induced chemistry in this spectral area and a plethora of new ideas targeting at the design of new highly sensitive and top performing resists have been proposed. Besides the traditional areas of acid-catalyzed chemically amplified resists and the resists based on polymer backbone breaking new unconventional ideas have been proposed based on the insertion of metal compounds or compounds of other highly absorbing at EUV atoms in the resist formulations. These last developments are reviewed here. Since the effort targets to a new understanding of electron-induced chemical reactions that dominate the resist performance in this region these last developments may lead to unprecedented changes in lithographic technology but can also strongly affect other scientific areas where electron-induced chemistry plays a critical role.

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“…The MTR material is a molecular resist, which utilises ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) and incorporates a unique self-quenching mechanism, known as the multi-trigger mechanism, directly in the chemical pathways, to improve performance. The intrinsic self-quenching mechanism in the MTR material, which has been described before [15][16][17][18][19][20][21] provides an advantage in acid diffusion mitigation and offers a benefit on achieving ultimate resolutions with low edge roughness. After the development of the initial prototype of the resist, MTR Generation 1 (Gen1) was developed, incorporating non-metal organic high-opacity moieties for high photo-absorption.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

EUV lithography patterning using multi-trigger resist

Popescu,

O'Callaghan,

McClelland

et al. 2024

Advances in Patterning Materials and Processes XLI

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Irresistible Materials is developing a novel photoresist for EUV lithography including high-NA patterning. A major concern for the key research area of high-NA EUV resists is that stochastics in such resist materials can lead both to roughness and defects causing failures, which means high-NA resists remain a priority research area. We are developing a photoresist based on the multi-trigger concept, which seeks to suppress line edge roughness using a new photoresist mechanism, and which is based on molecular rather than polymeric materials to maximize resolution. It also has relatively high EUV absorbance to increase photon capture despite the need for thin films in high-NA due to limited depth-of-focus.By modifying the MTM molecule, crosslinker and PAG, both individually and in combination, we can optimize the reaction rates in the MTR mechanism. Different combinations have been designated Gen 2.1 to Gen 2.6 and show an LWR improvement in Gen 2.4, 2.5 and 2.6 combinations. Here we present the lithographic performance at pitch 28nm dense line/space where 14.1 wide lines were patterned at 59 mJ/cm 2 with an unbiased LER of 2.09 nm using a Gen 2.4 resist. We show hexagonal pillar results: pitch 32 nm patterned at 42 mJ/cm 2 to obtain a pillar diameter of 16 nm with an unbiased LCDU of 2.8 nm; and additionally p32 pillars of 16 nm diameter were patterned at 74 mJ/cm 2 with an unbiased LCDU of 2.7nm; and of 18.5 nm diameter at 82 mJ/cm 2 with an unbiased LCDU of 2.3nm. We also show data which shows using a Gen 2.6 resist can reduce the LCDU of p32 hex pillars by 0.2 nm and biased LWR of p28 l/s by 0.3 nm compared to a comparable Gen 2.4 resist.Performance improvements such as reduced roughness and defectivity can also be shown to be affected by choices such as underlayer and developer. Additionally, the modification of the developer can be shown to influence the patterning performance of the resist at high resolution.

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Performance enhancements with the high opacity multi-trigger resist

Cited by 6 publications

References 0 publications

EUV lithography patterning using multi-trigger resist

EUV lithography patterning using multi-trigger resist

High Sensitivity Resists for EUV Lithography: A Review of Material Design Strategies and Performance Results

EUV lithography patterning using multi-trigger resist

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