Abstract
α-Allyloxymethyl acrylic (AMA) polymers are radical-curable resins that contain tetrahydrofuran (THF) rings in their main chain and acrylic units in their side chains. AMA polymers are generally cured by ultraviolet light with photopolymerization initiators and are used as adhesive agents, sealants, inks, and resist materials owing to its high adhesiveness, transparency, and thermal tolerance. In this study, the applicability of methyl AMA polymer (PMeAMA) as an electron beam (EB) resist was investigated. PMeAMA performs as a negative-tone resist upon EB irradiation, and the sensitivity of PMeAMA was determined to be 300-400 μC/cm2 for a 55 kV EB. This value is comparable to those of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and hydrogen silsesquioxane. The radiation-induced early reactions were studied by using pulse radiolysis. The electron scavenging capability of PMeAMA was confirmed, and its electron scavenging rate constant was comparable to that of PMMA. The unique reactivity of PMeAMA with radical cations was observed in dichloromethane solution, and it may be attributed to the presence of THF rings in the main chain of PMeAMA.
