Relationship between Chemical Gradient and Line Edge Roughness of Chemically Amplified Extreme Ultraviolet Resist

摘要

We investigated the relationship between line edge roughness (LER) and the concentration gradient of chemical compounds that determines the solubility of the resist (chemical gradient). Two-dimensional (half-pitch and exposure dose) matrices of resist line width and LER were analyzed on the basis of the sensitization mechanisms of chemically amplified resists for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. The latent images of resist patterns were successfully reproduced by assuming that LER is inversely proportional to the chemical gradient. The product of LER and normalized chemical gradient was 0.31.