An Ether-Containing Hafnium–Diethylene Glycol Dry Resist Prepared by Molecular Layer Deposition for Mild-Acid Development.
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| Title: | An Ether-Containing Hafnium–Diethylene Glycol Dry Resist Prepared by Molecular Layer Deposition for Mild-Acid Development. |
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| Authors: | Shi, Chao1,2 (AUTHOR), Wang, Yixian1,2 (AUTHOR), Wang, Zimai1,2,3 (AUTHOR), Tian, Yumo1,2,4 (AUTHOR), Chen, Kuanlin1,2,5 (AUTHOR), Li, Linyang1,2,6 (AUTHOR), Chen, Xianhaoyan1,2 (AUTHOR), Cai, Yuan2,3 (AUTHOR), Wang, Tuo1,2,3,4,5,6 (AUTHOR) wangtuo@tju.edu.cn |
| Source: | Nanomaterials (2079-4991). Jun2026, Vol. 16 Issue 12, p726. 16p. |
| Subjects: | Diethylene glycol, Photoresists, Dissolution (Chemistry), Atomic layer deposition, Electron beam lithography, Photolithography |
| Abstract: | Advanced lithography, including electron beam lithography (EBL), X-ray lithography (XRL), and extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL), imposes stringent requirements on photoresists in resolution, sensitivity, and process compatibility, thereby driving the development of metal-containing hybrid resists and vapor-phase deposition strategies. However, existing Hf-based dry hybrid photoresists often struggle to provide sufficient dissolution contrast for clean pattern formation under mild development, as unexposed regions are not fully removed. In this work, an ether-containing hafnium-based photoresist was fabricated by molecular layer deposition (MLD). Incorporation of the diethylene glycol (DEG)-derived ether unit modifies the local coordination environment of the hybrid film and enhances the removability of the unexposed regions, enabling removal in 0.1 M HCl. FTIR and XPS analyses reveal that exposure disrupts Hf-O-C coordination motifs and converts the initial hybrid network into a more HfOx-rich, less soluble framework. This combination of enhanced solubility in the unexposed regions and exposure-induced stabilization in the exposed regions establishes sufficient dissolution contrast for mild-acid negative-tone development. E-beam tests show a critical dose of approximately 250 μC·cm−2 and reproducible patterning down to 50 nm. These results identify DEG-mediated ether incorporation as an effective route to improving developer compatibility in Hf-based MLD dry resists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Engineering Source |
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| Abstract: | Advanced lithography, including electron beam lithography (EBL), X-ray lithography (XRL), and extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL), imposes stringent requirements on photoresists in resolution, sensitivity, and process compatibility, thereby driving the development of metal-containing hybrid resists and vapor-phase deposition strategies. However, existing Hf-based dry hybrid photoresists often struggle to provide sufficient dissolution contrast for clean pattern formation under mild development, as unexposed regions are not fully removed. In this work, an ether-containing hafnium-based photoresist was fabricated by molecular layer deposition (MLD). Incorporation of the diethylene glycol (DEG)-derived ether unit modifies the local coordination environment of the hybrid film and enhances the removability of the unexposed regions, enabling removal in 0.1 M HCl. FTIR and XPS analyses reveal that exposure disrupts Hf-O-C coordination motifs and converts the initial hybrid network into a more HfOx-rich, less soluble framework. This combination of enhanced solubility in the unexposed regions and exposure-induced stabilization in the exposed regions establishes sufficient dissolution contrast for mild-acid negative-tone development. E-beam tests show a critical dose of approximately 250 μC·cm−2 and reproducible patterning down to 50 nm. These results identify DEG-mediated ether incorporation as an effective route to improving developer compatibility in Hf-based MLD dry resists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 20794991 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/nano16120726 |
