Analysis of Line-edge Roughness in Resist Patterns and Its Transferability as Origins of Device Performance Degradation and Variation

摘要

Condensation properties of polymer aggregate are characterized by the typical AFM techniques, collapse, separation, indentation and manipulation. The association of polymer aggregate of approximately 50 nm size is clearly observed in the resist surface. By the seapration technique, the cohesive property of associated polymer aggregate is analyzed. It is clearly indicated that two associated polymer aggregates are separated into 13 pieces of aggregates. The interaction force among polymer aggregates can be analyzed based on Derjaguin approximation. By the tip indentation, the condensation of polymer aggregate accompanying a certain vacancy can be analyzed. The polymer aggregate of 20nm size can be manipualted and rearranged in linear position. One can safely state that polymer aggregate is regarded as a granualr solid material which has certain cohesive strength. The condensation model of polymer aggregate accompanying with vacancy resist is introduced.