Relationship between blurring factors and interfacial effects in chemically amplified resist processes in photomask fabrication

Kozawa, Takahiro; Tamura, Takao

doi:10.35848/1347-4065/ac33cd

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…For the chemically amplified EB resists, such lowenergy electron dynamics at the resist-substrate interface were experimentally confirmed to affect the resist pattern shapes. 27) Note that the low-energy secondary electrons mentioned here 28,29) are different from the well-known backscattered electrons in EB lithography. 30,31) The backscattered electrons generally do not get involved in the interfacial effect, because they go through the ultrathin films.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Interfacial effects on sensitization of chemically amplified extreme ultraviolet resists

Kozawa¹

2022

Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.

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With the improvement of lithography resolution in horizontal direction, the thickness of resist films becomes thin to avoid the pattern collapse. The thinning of resist films is an important issue in the development of next-generation lithography process. In this study, the interfacial effects on the sensitization of chemically amplified extreme ultraviolet (EUV) resists were investigated using a Monte Carlo method on the basis of their sensitization mechanism. The chemically amplified resist is a standard resist used for the fabrication of semiconductor devices. In chemically amplified resists, thermalized electrons reduce sensitizer molecules upon exposure to EUV radiation. The low-energy secondary electron dynamics at the vacuum-resist and resist-underlayer interfaces strongly affected the distribution of decomposed sensitizers. In particular, the resist bulk layer almost disappeared at 20 nm pitch in the specific cases. The control of interfaces becomes important in the development of next-generation lithography process.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Interfacial effects on sensitization of chemically amplified extreme ultraviolet resists

Kozawa¹

2022

Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.

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“…It was observed that the escape of low-energy electrons to the substrate affected the resist pattern shapes for the chemically amplified EB resist. 155) The low-energy electrons discussed here 156,157) are different from the well-known backscattered electrons in EB lithography. 158,159) The so-called backscattered electrons go through the ultrathin films, while the effect of low-energy electrons generated upon EUV exposure is limited within a short range.…”

Section: Interfacial Effectsmentioning

confidence: 85%

Design strategy of extreme ultraviolet resists

Kozawa

2024

Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.

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The high-volume production of semiconductor devices with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography started in 2019. During the development of EUV lithography, the resist materials had always been ranked high in the focus area for its realization. The trade-off relationships between resolution, line width roughness, and sensitivity were the most serious problem. The EUV lithography started with the use of chemically amplified resists after the material chemistry was optimized on the basis of radiation chemistry. The increase of numerical aperture has been scheduled to enhance the optical resolution. For the realization of next-generation lithography, the suppression of stochastic effects is the most important issue. A highly absorptive material is a key to the suppression of stochastic effects. The development of next-generation EUV resists has progressed around chemically amplified resists, metal oxide resists, and main-chain-scission type resists. EUV resists are reviewed from the viewpoint of material design for the suppression of stochastic effects.

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“…become evermore dependent on nanostructured microelectronic devices, while electron beam induced chemical processes are not only important for nanotechnology Kozawa and Tagawa (2010); Kozawa and Tamura (2021), they are also taking place in living organisms, and are highly relevant to our very wellbeing Gao et al (2021); McKee et al (2019); Barrios et al (2002); Zheng et al (2008). Since it is impossible to obtain the desired information on the spot, i.e., inside the solid, one must employ techniques inducing a signal which travels from the location of interest to the surface, into vacuum.…”

Section: Wernermentioning

confidence: 99%

Electron beams near surfaces: the concept of partial intensities for surface analysis and perspective on the low energy regime

Werner

2023

Front. Mater.

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Electron beam techniques are indispensable tools for the analysis of surfaces in fundamental as well as applied fields of science and technology. Significant improvements have been made in the past decades in the quantitative understanding of electron spectra, particularly with respect to the near-surface transport of signal electrons. The concept of partial intensities is a simple approach providing physical insight into transport of electrons in solids, a numerically convenient means for spectrum modelling and an essential ingredient for spectrum interpretation. The energy-dissipation process of energetic electrons in solids is discussed from the perspective of the partial intensities, offering a unified model for any type of electron beam technique, be it in the quasi-elastic (QE) or the continuous slowing down (CSD) regime. Examples are given for modelling and analysis of electron spectra such as X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), Elastic peak electron spectra (EPES) and electron energy-loss spectra (EELS). The physical model as well as the quantities for electron beam interaction with solids are reviewed, and methods for spectrum modelling and analysis are presented. The examples considered demonstrate the high level of accuracy nowadays attainable for characterisation of surfaces and nanostructures employing techniques using medium energy electrons (>100 eV). This is in contrast to the low energy regime, where a number of problems prevent a similar level of understanding. The topic of low energy electrons (LEEs) is rapidly gaining importance since in this energy range the involved electrons not only act as signal carriers, but also actively participate in electrochemical processes of importance in fields ranging from nanotechnology to life sciences. Issues of future importance in the field of LEEs are discussed and recent developments such as the 2-dimensional electron cascade in the scanning field electron microscope are highlighted.

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Relationship between blurring factors and interfacial effects in chemically amplified resist processes in photomask fabrication

Cited by 5 publications

References 42 publications

Interfacial effects on sensitization of chemically amplified extreme ultraviolet resists

Interfacial effects on sensitization of chemically amplified extreme ultraviolet resists

Design strategy of extreme ultraviolet resists

Electron beams near surfaces: the concept of partial intensities for surface analysis and perspective on the low energy regime

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