Photoresist developer and methods of use
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsTzu-Yang Lin, Chen-Yu Liu, Ching-Yu Chang, Chin-Hsiang Lin
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Abstract
Novel photoresist developing compositions including a deprotonation agent, such as a nitrogen containing organic base capable of deprotonating a surface of portions of a photoresist layer exposed to radiation.
Claims20
A lithography method, comprising:
- forming a resist layer comprising a negative resist including multiple carboxylate groups over a workpiece;
- exposing a portion of the resist layer to radiation, the exposing converting at least some of the carboxylate groups in the exposed portion to carboxylic acid groups;
- and
- exposing the resist layer to a developer that removes an unexposed portion of the resist layer, thereby forming a patterned resist layer, wherein the developer includes a solvent consisting essentially of an ester acetate and a deprotonation agent configured to deprotonate one or more of the carboxylic acid groups in the exposed region, wherein the ester acetate derivative is represented by one of the following formulae (III) and (IV):
A lithography method, comprising:
- forming a resist layer comprising a negative resist including multiple carboxylate groups over a workpiece;
- exposing the resist layer to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation, the exposing converting at least some of the carboxylate groups in the exposed portion to carboxylic acid groups;
- altering a surface of a portion of the resist layer exposed to EUV radiation by contacting portions of the resist layer exposed to EUV radiation with a developer including a solvent consisting essentially of an ester acetate derivative and a nitrogen containing organic base configured to deprotonate one or more of the carboxylic acid groups in the exposed region, wherein the ester acetate derivative is represented by formula (I):
- wherein:
- (i) both R1 and R2 are n-propyl;
- (ii) R1 is n-propyl and R2 is isopropyl;
- or
- (iii) R1 is isopropyl and R2 is n-propyl;
- and
- removing portions of the resist layer not exposed to EUV radiation.
A lithography developing composition including a solvent consisting essentially of an ester acetate derivative and a deprotonation agent which, when contacted with a resist layer comprising a negative resist including multiple carboxylate groups which has been exposed to an electromagnetic radiation, causes at least some of the carboxylate groups in exposed regions of the resist layer to be converted to carboxylic acid groups such that solubility of the exposed regions of the resist layer in the lithography developing composition to decreases, wherein the deprotonation agent is configured to deprotonate one or more of the carboxylic acid groups in the exposed regions of the resist layer, and wherein the ester acetate derivative is represented by formula (I):
- wherein:
- (i) both R1 and R2 are n-propyl;
- (ii) R1 is n-propyl and R2 is isopropyl;
- or
- (iii) R1 is isopropyl and R2 is n-propyl.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.