Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B, Vol.14, No.6, 4203-4206, 1996
Prospect and Challenges of ArF Excimer-Laser Lithography Processes and Materials
Practical chemically amplified resists for 193 nm Lithography will be realized from newly developed polar alicyclic base polymers. Their resist performance is likely to be equal to that of resists used for 248 nm lithography, since a 193 nm resist basically follows the same physical rules as a conventional resist. Top surface imaging with a combination of 193 nm exposure and bi-functional silyation reagent B(DMA)MS was used to produce 0.12 mu m L&S patterns. This resolution corresponds to a k(1) factor of 0.34. Therefore, the use of dry-developed resists, which provide excellent resolution and a generous process margin, will help extend the use of 193 nm lithography. However, resolution enhancement techniques must still be developed to improve the process window.