As technology nodes shrink, EUV photoresists are critical for high-resolution nanopatterning. However, slow electrons (below 20 eV) generated during EUV exposure can cause electron blur and defect formation through unintended chemical reactions. Understanding the behavior of these electrons is crucial for improving resist performance. This work aims to study how different resist materials, particularly photoacid generators (PAGs) and quenchers, influence electron-induced chemistry under EUV exposure. Additionally, the goal is to develop high-throughput methods to screen hundreds of samples efficiently. Simultaneous total electron yield (TEY) and residual gas analysis (RGA) were used to investigate electron behavior in various polymers and model resists during EUV exposure. TEY measured electron generation and capture, while outgassing experiments explored molecular bond scission. The methods are designed for high-throughput analysis, allowing rapid sample evaluation. TEY measurements showed that PAGs and quenchers significantly affect electron generation and capture. Combined TEY and outgassing results revealed insights into EUV-induced molecular bond scission and the correlation to the resist sensitivity. This study highlights the importance of optimizing resist composition to control slow-electron behavior and outgassing. The developed high-throughput screening methods can accelerate the evaluation and development of next-generation EUV photoresists.
Metrology plays a crucial role in semiconductor manufacturing by providing accurate and precise measurement and characterization of critical parameters. With the development of high-resolution extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) processes, critical dimensions are shrinking to sub-10 nm. Resist materials encounter the challenge of providing heightened sensitivity and a handle on exacerbating stochastic variations. A comprehensive understanding of the chemical profile of the latent image is pivotal for mitigating stochastic effects and optimizing pattern quality. However, the subtle differences in chemistry between the exposed and unexposed regions of the resists make it extremely challenging to characterize the latent images with sub-nanometer precision. Here, we develop the metrology with critical-dimension resonant soft X-ray scattering (CD-RSoXS) to probe the chemical profiles of latent images stored in resist after exposure. The combination of absorption spectroscopy and enhanced scattering contrast makes it possible to characterize the subtle structural and chemical variations in the latent image. Moreover, the results of the measurements are compared with the simulations with a finite element method–based Maxwell solver to extract a detailed profile of the latent and developed images. We demonstrate that the CD-RSoXS technique can provide valuable insights into the high spatial resolution and local chemical sensitivity simultaneously, which is crucial to understanding the resolution limits and stochastic effects in EUVL processes.
As extreme ultraviolet lithography advances towards patterning smaller features, stochastics and sensitivity are two challenges that polymeric photoresists must overcome. Traditionally, synthetic limitations cause chain-to-chain variations in polymer molecular weight, composition, and sequence which are compounded by material stochastics in resist formulations. Together with poor EUV absorption by polymeric materials, this contributes to unacceptable levels of line-edge roughness and other patterning defects. Polypeptoids are a unique class of bio-inspired polymers that can be synthesized with a perfectly defined sequence, composition, and molecular weight, yielding a uniform material. In this study, we have incorporated metals and halogens into polypeptoid-based chemically amplified resists to investigate the impact of strongly EUV-absorbing elements on the sensitivity of polymeric photoresists. These polypeptoid CARs have been evaluated under DUV and electron-beam lithography.
The adoption of EUV lithography has enabled the reduction of device dimensions; however, the commensurate scaling of variability, such as line edge and width roughness (LER/LWR), has remained elusive. Understanding the origins of these effects has proven challenging, as they cannot be detected until after the final dissolution step. In this study, we present our recent findings using critical-dimension resonant soft X-ray scattering (CD-RSoXS) to investigate the scattering behavior of photoresist materials. Our primary objective is to gain insights into the contributions of each process step to the generation of LER/LWR as well as footing/scumming. RSoXS capitalizes on tunable soft X-ray sources to significantly enhance the scattering cross-sections from heterogeneous materials. This enhancement provides valuable insights into sub-nanometer spatial resolution and local chemical sensitivity concurrently. To extract a comprehensive profile of the latent image, we employ simulations involving the form factor and subsequent reconstruction of line shapes.
Metrology plays a crucial role in semiconductor manufacturing by providing accurate and precise measurement and characterization of critical parameters. With the development of high-resolution extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography processes, critical dimensions are shrinking to sub-10 nanometer. The small differences in chemistry between the exposed and unexposed regions of the resists make it extremely challenging to characterize the latent images with sub-nanometer precision. Here we report on our recent results using critical-dimension resonant soft x-ray scattering (CD-RSoXS) to probe the scattering behavior of latent images at specific energy levels. RSoXS leverages tunable soft x-ray sources in order to dramatically enhance the scattering cross sections from heterogeneous materials, which can provide valuable insights into the sub-nm spatial resolution and local chemical sensitivity simultaneously. Moreover, to extract a detailed profile of the latent image, the simulations of the form factor and subsequent reconstruction of the line shapes are performed under DWBA and RCWA.
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