Effects of diffusion constant of photodecomposable quencher on chemical gradient of chemically amplified extreme-ultraviolet resists

摘要

The photodecomposable quencher is an important resist technology used for the high-volume production of semiconductor devices. In this study, the effects of the diffusion constant of photodecomposable quenchers on the chemical gradient were investigated by calculating the chemical gradient of line-and-space patterns with an 11 nm half-pitch on the basis of the sensitization and reaction mechanisms of chemically amplified extreme-ultraviolet resists. It was found that the concentration of photodecomposable quencher and the chemical gradient can be markedly increased by decreasing the quencher diffusion constant relative to the acid diffusion constant. Because of the resolution requirement, we should consider the exclusion volume effect of resist units in the future resist design. From this viewpoint, it is attractive that the quenchers have two functions (not only the termination of catalytic reactions but also the capture of thermalized electrons). (C) 2015 The Japan Society of Applied Physics