The Photopolymer Science and Technology Award No.111100, the Outstanding Achievement Award 2011, was presented to Ralph R. Dammel (AZ Electronic Materials Corporation) for his outstanding achievements in photopolymer science and technology, ′Development of new advanced resist materials for microelectronics′.

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The Photopolymer Science and Technology Award No.112100, the Best Paper Award 2011, was presented to Toshiro Itani and Julius Joseph Santillan (Semiconductor Leading Edge Technologies, Inc.) for their outstanding contribution published in Journal of Photopolymer Science and Technology, 23, (2010) 639-642, entitled ′Dissolution Behavior of Photoresists: An In-situ Analysis′.

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The Photopolymer Science and Technology Award No.112200, the Best Paper Award 2011, was presented to Yoshihiko Hirai (Osaka Prefecture University, JST-CREST) for their outstanding contribution published in Journal of Photopolymer Science and Technology, 23, (2010) 25-32, entitled ′UV-Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL) Process Simulation′.

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Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems can in principle provide extremely high resolution (line-and-space patterns with less than 22 nm separation) for fabrication of microelectronic devices. For this purpose, various molecular resist materials based on calixarene, low-molecular-weight phenol resins, fullerene, ladder cyclic oligomer (noria), and photo-acid generator-bonding molecules have been investigated, and have provided resist patterns with a resolution of 22-50 nm. Although these molecular glasses have the potential to give higher resolution patterns, their values of line-edge roughness remain too high at present. This review deals with the current status of molecular resists for EUV systems and prospects for further development.

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EUVL applicability to mass production in 2x nm generations has been proved by recent developments. For 1x nm generations, three major lithography candidates to be applied for mass productions are discussed, quadruple patterning, EUVL single patterning and EUVL double patterning. Three candidates are compared from following viewpoints, lithography performance, process cost and turn around time. Through the comparison, EUVL is the most promising way to 1x nm generations. EUVL single patterning has an advantage of cost and TAT and EUVL double patterning has a potential to extend resolution limit to 0x nm hp.

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Resist ability to simultaneously meet the requirements for Resolution, LER and Sensitivity (RLS) remains one of the critical issues EUV Lithography is facing. As good progress in resolution and sensitivity have been made, nowadays LER and pattern collapse are considered as the two main items requiring improvement. In this paper, the current performance of EUV resist on the ASML ADT is reviewed and the effectiveness of process improvements for pattern collapse and LER reduction has been investigated. Results are presented of EUV resist screening for sub-28nm LS and 30nm contact holes on the ASML ADT to prepare for a resist process on the pre-production tool NXE:3100, currently under installation at imec. Acceptable resist performance was obtained for 28nm LS with some of the new resist materials outperforming the current imec reference resist in terms of LER. By applying a 20% mask bias, imaging of 30nm contacts at <14mJ/cm2 with wide processing latitudes was achieved. Local variation of contact CD however is a serious limitation at smaller contact sizes. The use of TBAH developer and the application of FIRM rinse were found to be effective to reduce pattern collapse and to extend processing windows. With the FIRM rinse in addition LER was improved. Finally the feasibility of printing 22nm LS at 13mJ/cm2 with 4.7nm LER have been demonstrated on the NXE:3100 using dipole illumination.

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The increasing cost of the lithographic process, which is driven both by process complexity and by the increasing price of moving to smaller exposure wavelengths, makes approaches that use ′smart chemicals′ and ′bottom up′ patterning processes that employ molecular scale assembly processes ever more attractive. The technology that is closest to implementation in IC manufacturing is directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers for contact hole shrink and line space multiplication. The current delays and limitations in EUV lithography provide further incentive to pursue DSA technology, which can be both complementary (such as in contact shrink) as well as a competitor (such as for fine line patterning). Current results indicate that DSA structure quality, line roughness measures, and defectivity are in a range that allows development work for integration into existing production to begin. Contact hole shrink may be closest to implementation, since its process integration is very similar to existing shrink material schemes. A first application for line frequency multiplication may be the replacement of multiple patterning processes with DSA schemes which have the potential to provide compelling cost and technical advantages.

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We propose a design to fabricate transistors on flexible substrates in a bottom-up fashion using R2R UV-imprint lithography. The design consists of a template composed of multilevel as well as gray level features, the later used to facilitate device interconnection. A hard mold is fabricated by LBR and a flexible Ni replica is done using Ni electroplating. The flexible stamp is used in the R2R UV imprint machine with PET as flexible substrate. Imprints were performed at a speed of 0.35m/min and show a high level of replication of the multilevel as well as gray level features.

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In this paper we review the most important known sources of defects in nanoimprint lithography (NIL). The review encompasses the thermal, ultraviolet-curing and step-and-repeat variants of NIL, and addresses both systematic and random sources of residual layer thickness (RLT) variation, incomplete stamp cavity filling, and other defects. Approaches to simulating these NIL processes are surveyed. Strategies are analyzed for reducing RLT variation as well as the number and severity of defects, and opportunities for future innovations are highlighted.

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In the next-generation, a high throughput fine patterning process with low cost is required to fabricate various devices, which have a nanometer-scale pattern over a large area. Ultra violet nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL) is a major breakthrough in this field because it is considerably simpler than the conventional techniques and the equipment cost of a NIL system is inexpensive. Furthermore, NIL with roll mold (Roll nanoimprint, RNIL) has received a lot of attention because of its very high throughput and high resolution. Generally, a roll mold with nano pattern is obtained by the attachment of a planar replica mold. However, the resulting roll mold has seams and this brings about a yield loss of the product. Therefore, we have developed a direct writing method using EB lithography on a rotating cylindrical substrate. In this study, we examined a fabrication method of seamless roll mold using transparent roll substrate and RNIL was carried out using a UV photo-curable resin.

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Three-dimensionally cross-linked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), a thermo-responsive polymer, undergoes large volume change through reversible shrinking and swelling in response to changes in temperature. In this study, we developed a thermoresponsible resist (Bio-resist) consisting of a thermally cross-linkable PNIPAAm, thus enabling micropatterning by thermal nanoimprinting. As a result, micropatterning of Bio-resist was possible at a scale of 90 nm to 10 μm. Further, when water was dropped onto the micropattern of Bio-resist, the micropattern shrank when the substrate temperature was high (36 °C), and the micropattern swelled when the substrate temperature was low (20 °C). By utilizing the pattern deformation, a functional microchip was demonstrated that arrays, captures and releases microparticles.

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Nano structures on organic solar material are expected to improve power generation efficiency instead of bulk hetero junctions. In this study, we fabricated high aspect ratio nano structures using poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) by a novel nano-imprint process. Fine structures 70-nm wide and 550-nm high were successful obtained. However, the pattern defects in the de-molding process were increased by basing on the increment of the pattern′s aspect ratio. We also investigated the relation between aspect ratio and defect yield.

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A Micro-nano Melt Transcription Molding Process(MTM) was developed to produce highly functional thermoplastic devices with fine patterns on their surfaces. By taking advantage of fluidity, wettability and low modulus of molten thermoplastics, the patterns with the dimensions from tens nanometers to hundreds micrometers or millimeters with high aspect ratio (Asp=height/diameter or width) and sharp edge could be molded under high productivity. The nano hole arrays, which have the walls with width(W) 60nmxheight(H) 270nm(Asp4.5) and W45nmxH320nm(Asp7.1) that partition the holes with diameter 250nm, could successfully be molded by using both PMMA(Polymethylmethacrylate) and PC(Polycarbonate). The well patterns for cell culture with W15μmx120μm(Asp8) were molded uniformly over the surface area 100mmx125mm with the cycle time in one minute and a little. As a result, it was confirmed that MTM proposed in this study could be applied effectively to the practical production of thermoplastic devices which have the surface patterns in a high grade and under high productivity.

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In this study, two sets of experimental device were used to precisely investigate the thermal imprint process. The behavior of polymeric material transcribing the micro-structure of the stamp was observed by optical microscope, and effect of the temperature and pressure on the material behavior was discussed based on the obtained images. The obtained results showed that the temperature had larger effect on the transcription behavior. A generalized model that estimated the condition of the micro-scale transcription including the temperature dependence of the physical property of the material was also proposed. By using the model, the transcription ratio curves obtained at different temperature were successfully summarized on one master curve.

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This paper describes a post-UV curing process, called anti-sticking curing process (ACP), for fluorinated polymer (NIF) molds. After fabrication by UV imprinting, an NIF mold was irradiated by a strong UV light. The results of surface free-energy calculations, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Vickers hardness measurements showed that the surface state of NIF can be described as follows: active functional groups in the photosensitive radical initiator remained on the surface of the NIF mold after UV imprinting. After ACP, these active groups were consumed by further UV polymerization, and the fluorinated components moved to the surface. Thus, an improvement in the releasability of NIF molds is expected.

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We investigated the shrinkage characteristics of UV nanoimprint resin during UV exposure using a high temporal resolution measurement system. The time lag of the onset of the resin shrinkage in response to the UV exposure was verified. For an UV-curable resin (Toyogosei PAK-01) investigated in this study, the lag time was determined to be around 30 ms. We found that the environment gas (air and pentafluoropropane gas) had no effect on the time lag. The effects of multiple UV exposures on polymerization were investigated from the shrinkage variation induced with the polymerization. By comparing the shrinkages evaluated in the environments of the air and pentafluoropropane gas, the same shrinkage characteristic was verified in the two environments. The shrinkage variation was in good agreement with the polymerization rate suggested as the first-order reaction kinetics of polymerization.

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The de-molding force between a UV resist and a Si dioxide surface is measured for various UV light intensities and exposure times. Typical UV radical polymerization resists are examined without any surface treatment of the Si dioxide surface for releasing. The result shows that the de-molding force increases in as increments of the UV light intensity, however it does not depend on the UV dosage. But the de-molding force depends on the product of the square root of the light intensity and exposure time, which is nearly consistent with the UV curing characteristics of the polymer.

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Antireflection (AR) structure is the most promising nano-scale application for AR film such as flat panel display, mobile phone display and so on. Ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL) is a potentially powerful tool for such a nanofabrication, thus, we have been established the fabrication method of AR structure film using photo-curable polymer and UV-NIL. The AR structure mold was fabricated by oxygen ion beam irradiation to glassy carbon (GC) surface. This process can obtain large area and uniform AR structure surface easily. The AR structured surface has strong adhesive force, thus, release layer is important. The developed release method is chromium deposition and succeeding fluorinate silnane coupling agent. This release layer enables to transfer during UV-NIL. First, AR structures were replicated on PET film and reflection property was measured. However, interface between AR structured polymer and PET generates interface reflection. To reduce the interface reflection, we have been developed the fabrication method of self-support photo-curable polymer with AR structures. The method is utilizing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) instead of PET film. PVA is water-soluble material, thus, after the AR structure replication by UV-NIL, PVA was removed by dipping water. The fabricated self-support film is 0.5 % reflectivity at visible light wavelength.

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