X-ray absorption spectroscopy to probe interfacial issues in photolithography.

Journal Article · Sat Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 2003 · Proposed for publication in Langmuir.

OSTI ID:917443

Angelopoulos, Marie ^[1]; Lenhart, Joseph Ludlow; Wu, Wen-li ^[2]; Sambasivan, Sharadha ^[3]; Fischer, Daniel A ^[2]; Jones, Ronald L ^[4]; Soles, Christopher L ^[5]; Lin, Eric K ^[6]; Goldfarb, Dario L ^[1]

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1. IBM, T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY
2. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
3. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
4. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
5. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
6. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD

We utilize near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXASFS) to provide detailed chemical insight into two interfacial problems facing sub-100 nm patterning. First, chemically amplified photo-resists are sensitive to surface phenomenon, which causes deviations in the pattern profile near the interface. Striking examples include T-topping, closure, footing, and undercutting. NEXAFS was used to examine surface segregation of a photo-acid generator at the resist/air interface and to illustrate that the surface extent of deprotection in a model resist film can be different than the bulk extent of deprotection. Second, line edge roughness becomes increasingly critical with shrinking patterns, and may be intimately related to the line edge deprotection profile. A NEXAFS technique to surface depth profile for compositional gradients is described with the potential to provide chemical information about the resist line edge.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 917443
• Report Number(s): SAND2003-0906J
• Journal Information: Proposed for publication in Langmuir., Journal Name: Proposed for publication in Langmuir.
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
FINE STRUCTURE
INTERFACES
MASKING
MICROELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
NANOSTRUCTURES
ROUGHNESS
SEGREGATION
X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY