Simulator for the post-exposure bake of chemically amplified resists

An apparatus for simulating a PEB process for a chemically amplified photoresist the apparatus comprising:

• first means for selecting initial PEB parameters to represent a temperature-time history of said PEB process;
• second means responsive to said first means for determining reaction constants and a diffusion coefficient by using said temperature-time history to represent said chemically amplified resists, wherein said reaction constants being temperature-dependent, and said diffusion coefficient being temperature-dependent and protection-site-dependent;
• third means responsive to said second means for computing protection-site concentration of said chemically amplified resists by using an implicit scheme based on said distribution of said protection-site;
• and
• fourth means responsive to said third means for computing photoacid concentrations in a space occupied by said chemically amplified resists based on said diffusion coefficient by using said implicit scheme, wherein said PEB process comprises of a heating stage and a cooling stage, and said heating stage and cooling stage are both represented by exponential functions.