Extreme ultraviolet photoresist and method
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsYen-Hao Chen, Wei-Han Lai, Chien-Wei Wang, Chin-Hsiang Lin
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Abstract
Resist materials having enhanced sensitivity to radiation are disclosed herein, along with methods for lithography patterning that implement such resist materials. An exemplary resist material includes a polymer, a sensitizer, and a photo-acid generator (PAG). The sensitizer is configured to generate a secondary radiation in response to the radiation. The PAG is configured to generate acid in response to the radiation and the secondary radiation. The PAG includes a sulfonium cation having a first phenyl ring and a second phenyl ring, where the first phenyl ring is chemically bonded to the second phenyl ring.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- forming a resist material over a material layer, wherein the resist material includes a polymer, a sensitizer, and a photo-acid generator (PAG) that includes a cation and an anion, wherein the cation of the PAG includes a sulfur chemically bonded to a first phenyl ring and a second phenyl ring, and further wherein the cation of the PAG further includes an additional chemical group that is chemically bonded to the first phenyl ring and the second phenyl ring;
- exposing the resist material to radiation and developing the resist material after the exposing to form a patterned resist material over the material layer;
- and
- performing a fabrication process on the material layer using the patterned resist material as a mask.
A method comprising:
- performing a spin-on coating process to form a resist material with enhanced sensitivity to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation over a material layer, wherein the resist material includes a polymer, a sensitizer configured to generate a secondary radiation in response to the EUV radiation, and a photo-acid generator (PAG) configured to generate acid in response to the EUV radiation and the secondary radiation, wherein the PAG includes a sulfonium cation having a first phenyl ring and a second phenyl ring bonded to a sulfonium sulfur, wherein the first phenyl ring is further connected to the second phenyl ring through a chemical group separate from the sulfonium sulfur;
- patterning the resist material to include a resist pattern that corresponds with an integrated circuit (IC) pattern, wherein the patterning includes exposing the resist material to EUV radiation, baking the resist material, and developing the resist material;
- and
- performing a fabrication process on the material layer using the patterned resist material as a mask, wherein the material layer includes a material pattern that corresponds with the IC pattern after the fabrication process.
A method comprising:
- forming an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) resist material with enhanced sensitivity to EUV radiation over a material layer, the EUV resist material including a polymer, a sensitizer configured to generate electrons upon absorbing the EUV radiation, and a photo-acid generator (PAG) configured to generate acid upon absorbing the electrons, wherein the PAG includes a sulfur-comprising cation and a sulfur-comprising anion, wherein the sulfur-comprising cation includes a sulfur chemically bonded to a first phenyl ring and a second phenyl ring, and wherein the sulfur-comprising cation further includes a chemical group separate from the sulfur that is chemically bonded to the first phenyl ring and the second phenyl ring;
- exposing the EUV resist material to patterned radiation, such that the EUV resist material includes exposed portions and unexposed portions;
- baking the exposed EUV resist material;
- and
- developing the exposed and baked EUV resist material, wherein the developing removes the exposed portions of the EUV resist material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.