Crosslinkable aqueous developable photoresist compositions and method for use thereof
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsHarbans S. Sachdev, Willard E. Conley, Premlatha Jagannathan, Ahmad D. Katnani, Ranee W. Kwong, Leo L. Linehan, Steve S. Muira, Randolph J. Smith
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Abstract
High sensitivity, high contrast, heat-stable resist compositions for use in deep UV, i-line e-beam and x-ray lithography. These compositions comprise a film-forming polymer having aromatic rings activated for electrophilic substitution, an acid catalyzable crosslinking agent which forms a hydroxy-stabilized carbonium ion, and a photoacid generator. The compositions are aqueous base developable.
Claims24
An aqueous base developable negative tone photoresist composition comprising, in admixture:
- (a) a film-forming aromatic polymer resin having functional groups which activate said resin to electrophilic aromatic substitution,
- (b) an acid catalyzable crosslinking agent which forms a carbonium ion upon reaction with acid, which carbonium ion is stabilized by the presence of one or more electron donating substituents on the crosslinking agent,
- (c) a radiation degradable acid generator which forms an acid upon exposure of the photoresist composition to imaging radiation, which acid reacts with the crosslinking agent causing the composition to crosslink in the exposed regions, and which acid generator is selected from the group consisting of metallic onium salts, metalloid onium salts, non-metallic onium salts, and esters which are sulfonic acid precursors, and
- (d) an oligomeric ether diol additive having a molecular weight in the range from about 200 to about 1000 Daltons, and which increases the dissolution rate of the unexposed portion of the photoresist composition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.