Abstract
By using a micro cantilever tip of atomic force microscope (AFM), polymer aggregates condensed in a line resist pattern can be manipulated. A vacancy of polymer aggregate is found out at the resist-substrate interface, which acts to induce the subsequent etching failure and to weaken cohesion strength of the resist pattern. Quantitative analysis of collapse property of an electron beam (EB) resist pattern ranging from 60 to 152nm width and 220nm height is demonstrated experimentally by using the AFM tip. The load required for pattern collapse decreases with decreasing the pattern width. Internal stress and deformation analysis based on the aggregate model explains well the collapse property of the line resist pattern.
