Functionalized Silsesquioxanes Show High Sensitivity and Stability for Next-Generation E-Beam Lithography Resists

摘要

One of the most prevalent methods for creating submicron patterns is e-beam lithography (EBL). Electron optics can produce electron beams with a diameter of a few nanometers. The spatial resolution of EBL (typically ≈ 10s nm) is limited by scattering in the photoresist. Thus, it remains a challenge to create EBL resists which maintain high contrast below 20 nm. Hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) has shown promise as a negative resist due to its ability to create sub-20 nm features with high contrast and fidelity. However, HSQ has low sensitivity and is not stable for long periods of time.