Local condensation of TMAH developer at photoresist/glass interface analyzed by using confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM)

摘要

The dissolution behavior of a photoresist film is analyzed by a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) in this work. Results show that the existence of a local condensation of a TMAH developer at the interface of the photoresist/glass substrate interface at the initial stage of the photoresist dissolution. The uniformity of the local condensation of the TMAH developer depends on the amount of a remaining solvent in the photoresist film. Moreover, results indicate that the uniform/ununiform penetration path results in the uniform/ununiform local condensation of the TMAH developer. Importantly, the ununiform penetration path and local condensation cause the excessive contacting duration at the edge of an unexposed region of the photoresist which causes to form the photoresist pattern edge roughness. The uniformity of the penetration path of the TMAH developer is critical for the photoresist pattern edge roughness.