Photoacid generator for chemically amplified photoresists
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsGerhard Ingmar Meijer, Valery Weber, Peter Willem Jan Staar
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Abstract
In an approach to improve the field of photoacid generators (PAGs) through a new photoacid generator, in particular to a photoacid generator comprising a new polycyclic aromatic photoacid generator compound anion, and a photoresist composition, comprising said photoacid generator. Embodiments the present invention relate to a method of generating an acid using said photoresist composition and a method of forming a patterned materials feature on a substrate.
Claims19
A photoacid generator comprising a cation and a polycyclic aromatic photoacid generator compound anion of a general formula, wherein the general formula comprises (first benzene moiety-X-second benzene moiety)−, and wherein the cation is selected from the group consisting of triphenylsulfonium, diphenyliodonium, phenylthiolanium, and derivatives thereof and wherein:
- X represents a central cycle;
- the first benzene moiety is substituted with a first sulfonate group and the second benzene moiety is substituted with a second sulfonate group;
- or
- the first benzene moiety is substituted with a sulfonate group and the second benzene moiety is substituted with a sulfonic acid group;
- and
- the first sulfonate group and the second sulfonate group or the first sulfonate group and the sulfonic acid group are arranged on said first and second benzene moiety such that their orbitals can interact with each other.
A photoresist composition comprising:
- an acid labile polymer;
- and
- a photoacid generator comprising polycyclic aromatic photoacid generator compound anion and a cation, wherein the cation is selected from the group consisting of triphenylsulfonium, diphenyliodonium, phenylthiolanium, and derivatives thereof, and wherein the polycyclic aromatic photoacid generator compound anion of comprises a general formula, wherein the general formula comprises (first benzene moiety-X-second benzene moiety)−, and wherein:
- X represents a central cycle;
- the first benzene moiety is substituted with a first sulfonate group and the second benzene moiety is substituted with a second sulfonate group;
- or
- the first benzene moiety is substituted with a sulfonate group and the second benzene moiety is substituted with a sulfonic acid group;
- and
- the first sulfonate group and the second sulfonate group or the first sulfonate group and the sulfonic acid group are arranged on said first and second benzene moiety such that their orbitals can interact with each other.
A method of generating an acid, wherein the method comprises:
- applying a photoresist composition to a substrate, wherein the photoacid generator comprising polycyclic aromatic photoacid generator compound anion and a cation, wherein the cation is selected from the group consisting of triphenylsulfonium, diphenyliodonium, phenylthiolanium, and derivatives thereof and an acid labile polymer, and wherein the polycyclic aromatic photoacid generator compound anion of comprises a general formula, wherein the general formula comprises (first benzene moiety-X-second benzene moiety)−, and wherein X represents a central cycle;
- and
- irradiating the photoresist composition with an energy ray to cause the photoacid generator to generate an acid.
A method of forming a patterned materials feature on a substrate, wherein the method comprises:
- providing a material surface on a substrate;
- forming a layer of the photoresist composition over said material surface, wherein the photoacid generator comprising polycyclic aromatic photoacid generator compound anion and a cation, wherein the cation is selected from the group consisting of triphenylsulfonium, diphenyliodonium, phenylthiolanium, and derivatives thereof and an acidlabile polymer, and wherein the polycyclic aromatic photoacid generator compound anion of comprises a general formula, wherein the general formula comprises (first benzene moiety-X-second benzene moiety)−, and wherein X represents a central cycle;
- patternwise irradiating the photoresist layer with an energy ray thereby creating a pattern of radiation-exposed regions in said photoresist layer;
- selectively removing portions of said photoresist layer to form exposed portions of said material surface;
- and
- etching or ion implanting said exposed portions of said material, thereby forming said patterned material feature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.