Mechanism of a Single Layer 193 nm Dissolution Inhibition Resist

We have found that the progress of developer base into films of terpolymers of norbornene (NB)-maleic anhydride (MA) and acrylic acid (AA) is a percolation process with a critical site concentration of x(c) = 0.0884 which suggests that every acrylic acid site in the terpolymer of norbornene-maleic anhydride-acrylic acid can make 12 monomer units of the polymer water compatible. In practice these systems are being used with various tert-butyl esters of cholic acid as dissolution inhibitors. The cholates differ very much in their dissolution inhibition factors (lowest-butyl cholate (1.3) to highest t-butyl lithocholate glutarate dimer (7.4)). The change in these factors corrected for molarity follow the hydrophobic character of the dissolution as measured by log(p). A quick screening method has also been established to evaluate dissolution inhibitors based on our observation that the cloud point (the volume $ acetone in a water/acetone which gives persistent cloudiness) parallels the dissolution inhibiting power as measured by the dissolution factor. For dissolution promotion, optimal results are obtained by t-butyl 1,3,5-cyclohexanetricarboxylate (f=6.3) and poorest results with t-butyl lithocholate (f=2.8); this appears to track with the number of carboxyl groups and the hydrophobicity of the carbolic acids. The R sub max found for resist formulations tracks well with these findings. Another factor in determining the ultimate achievable contrast is the degree of acidolytic deprotection achieved by the material. It appears that acidolytically cleaveable carboxylate esters with a higher concentration withdrawing groups such as t-butyl 1,3,5-cyclohexanetricarboxylate are more effective.