Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is used to evaluate the composition of nonvolatile photoproducts created by EUV photolysis of antimony carboxylate photoresists [R₃Sb(O₂CR′)₂]. Dozens of potential photoproduct ions were identified using exact mass and ¹²¹Sb/¹²³Sb isotopic ratios. Several oxygen-rich antimony ions were found to increase in abundance with exposure. Two methods were employed to identify photoproducts which create solubility contrast. First, samples were analyzed pre- and post-development to examine the effects of EUV exposure and developer solvent on secondary ion intensity. Secondly, changes in intensity of select ions were compared to dissolution contrast over a range of doses. Through these studies, ion intensities were found to correlate with dissolution contrast for several fragments, indicating their active role in creating negative-tone response.

Date Published: 27 March 2019
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 10960, Advances in Patterning Materials and Processes XXXVI, 1096010 (27 March 2019); doi: 10.1117/12.2516011

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 10960:
Advances in Patterning Materials and Processes XXXVI
Roel Gronheid; Daniel P. Sanders, Editor(s)