2000 Volume 13 Issue 4 Pages 497-502
The method of electron beam stabilization has been applied for improving the etch selectivity of resist patterns having an aspect ratio of less than 3:1. With the application of electron beam stabilization, the Deep-UV photoresists based on the chemical structures of Acetal and ESCAP have been evaluated with respect to etch selectivity as a function of electron beam dose and etch condition. A resist etch rate reduction of 20 percent and 26 percent in a metal etch process, have been observed for the two types of resists, Acetal and ESCAP respectively, at 2000μC/cm2. The thermal and chemical properties were characterized before and after electron beam stabilization using DSC, TGA, and FT-IR. The cross-sectional views of resist patterns after electron beam processing were also investigated to understand the chemical stability of resist during the electron beam process. Based on the experimental results, the application of electron beam stabilization for real device fabrication below 0.14μm has been presented.
