Dissolution Inhibition in Positive Novolak Resists

摘要

The inhibition of novolak dissolution by various light-sensitive compounds is thebasis of the most important imaging materials of the semiconductor device industry. A formidable amount of empirical information on these systems is available in the literature, yet in spite of this the molecular mechanism of the inhibition phenomenon is not understood and progress in this area is made largely by trial and error. The purpose of this part of the project is to develop a mechanistic model of dissolution and dissolution inhibition in the hope that this will serve as the basis of a more rational optimization of resist materials.