High Etch-Resistant Silicon Containing Bilayer Resist: - Lithographic Performance & Outgassing Studies

Abstract

Highly etch resistant poly(silsesquioxane) based resists for ArF lithographic application have been developed. This paper reports on the development of a high etch resistant, high glass transition temperature bilayer resist system capable of imaging film thicknesses of 50 nm while maintaining the ability to transfer the images to the thick underlayer during the etching step. Silicon contents of greater than 23 weight percent were effectively incorporated into the polymer backbone by optimization of the silsesquioxane based structure. As with other poly(silsesquioxane) based polymer systems, placement of the silicon into the polymer backbone allows the incorporation of very high levels of silicon, while generating no detectable levels of outgassed silicon containing species during the 193 nm exposure.