Charge dissipation by use of a novel aqueous based quaternary ammonium compound for use in electron beam lithography on non-conductive substrates

摘要

Electron beam lithography (EBL) is commonly used for patterning at the nanoscale by way of a focused electron beam.This process can lead to charge accumulation on the surface of the resist when used in conjunction with non-conductivesubstrate materials, impacting lithographic quality producing egregious shape placement inaccuracies. Current practicerequires the use of a deposited metal or conductive polymer film to facilitate charge dissipation at the surface. Such filmsare often unstable, incompatible and/or can be difficult to remove after exposure. This paper presents the findings of astudy of a novel aqueous based quaternary ammonium compound for use in EBL for charge dissipation on nonconductivesubstrates. This compound was found to effectively prevent charge accumulation across a broad range ofresist materials while remaining highly stable at room temperature and easily removed with deionized water orisopropanol after EBL exposure.