Relationship between sensitizer concentration and resist performance of chemically amplified extreme ultraviolet resists in sub-10nm half-pitch resolution region

摘要

The development of lithography processes with sub-10nm resolution is challenging. Stochastic phenomena such as line width roughness (LWR) are significant problems. In this study, the feasibility of sub-10nm fabrication using chemically amplified extreme ultraviolet resists with photo-decomposable quenchers was investigated from the viewpoint of the suppression of LWR. The relationship between sensitizer concentration (the sum of acid generator and photodecomposable quencher concentrations) and resist performance was clarified, using the simulation based on the sensitization and reaction mechanisms of chemically amplified resists. For the total sensitizer concentration of 0.5 nm(-3) and the effective reaction radius for the deprotection of 0.1 nm, the reachable half-pitch while maintaining 10% critical dimension (CD) LWR was 11 nm. The reachable half-pitch was 7 nm for 20% CD LWR. The increase in the effective reaction radius is required to realize the sub-10nm fabrication with 10% CD LWR. (C) 2017 The Japan Society of Applied Physics