New Immersion Fluid Technology

While water will dominate the initial applications for 193 nm immersion lithography, higher-refractive-index fluids will be required to extend this technology to nodes below 45 nm. We are developing such advanced fluids, as well as the supporting methods for their handling, use, and recycle.

"High-Index Immersion Fluids Enabling Cost-Effective Single-Exposure Lithography For 32 nm Half Pitches," paper and presentation at the SPIE Advanced Lithography Symposium, February, 2008.
Download: Paper [.pdf]   Presentation [.pdf]

"Cost Effective Single Exposure Immersion Lithography With Second Generation Immersion Fluids For Numerical Apertures of 1.55 and 32 nm Half Pitches," presentation at the Fourth Annual Symposium on Immersion Lithography, October, 2007
Download: Paper [.pdf]

"Evaluation of Next Generation Fluids for ArF Immersion Lithography Beyond Water," paper for the 24th Conference of Photopolymer Science and Technology & International Symposium 2007 "Materials & Processes for Advanced Microlithography and Nanotechnology," June, 2007.
Download: Paper [.pdf]

"High Index Immersion Lithography With Second Generation Immersion Fluids To Enable Numerical Apertures of 1.55 For Cost Effective 32 nm Half Pitches," paper and presentation at the SPIE Advanced Lithography Symposium, March, 2007.
Download: Paper [.pdf]    Presentation [.pdf]

"Second Generation Fluids For 193nm Immersion Lithography: Optics, Imaging and Fluid Lifecycle," presentation at the Third International Symposium on Immersion Lithography, October, 2006.
Download: Presentation [.pdf]

"Second Generation Fluids For 193nm Immersion Lithography: Optics, Imaging and Fluid Lifecycle," presentation at the SEMATECH Litho Forum, May, 2006.
Download: Presentation [.pdf]

"Second Generation Fluids for 193 nm Immersion Lithography," paper and presentation at the SPIE Microlithography Symposium, February, 2006.
Download: Paper [.pdf]    Presentation [.pdf]

Imaging Of 32-nm 1:1 Lines And Spaces Using 193-nm Immersion Interference Lithography With Second-Generation Immersion Fluids To Achieve A Numerical Aperture Of 1.5 And A k1 Of 0.25”, Journal of Microlithography, Microfabrication and Microsystems, Topical Issue on Hyper-NA Imaging, 4(3), 031103, Jul–Sep 2005.
Download: Paper [.pdf]

Copyright 2005, Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. This paper was published in the referenced journal and is made available as an electronic reprint with permission of SPIE. One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic or multiple reproduction, distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper are prohibited.

"Second Generation Fluids for 193 nm Immersion Lithography," paper and presentation at the SPIE Microlithography Symposium, February, 2005.
Download: Paper [.pdf]    Presentation [.pdf]

Advanced Resist Polymers

As 193 nm lithography extends to smaller dimensions through various resolution enhancement techniques, demands on photoresist properties are becoming increasingly stringent. We are developing new resist polymers to address critical issues such as line edge roughness and dry etch resistance.

"New Amorphous Fluoropolymers of Tetrafluoroethylene with Fluorinated and Non-Fluorinated Tricyclononenes. Semiconductor Photoresists for Imaging at 157 and 193 nm. Macromolecules, 39, p.3252 (2006)
Download: Paper [.pdf]

Copyright 2006, American Chemical Society. Per ACS copyright policy, this web-accessible version is restricted to the abstract, figures, and tables contained in the full article.

"Bis(fluoroalcohol) Monomers and Polymers: Improved Transparency Fluoropolymer Photoresists for Semiconductor Photolithography at 157 nm. Macromolecules, 39, p.1443 (2006)
Download: Paper [.pdf]

Copyright 2006, American Chemical Society. Per ACS copyright policy, this web-accessible version is restricted to the abstract, figures, and tables contained in the full article.

"The Impact of Fluoropolymers on LER in 193nm Imaging," presentation at the 22nd Conference of Photopolymer Science and Technology, June 2005.
Download: Presentation [.pdf]

"Design of Fluoropolymer Photoresists for Advanced Microlithography in Manufacture of Computer Chips," presentation at the ACS National Meeting, August, 2004.
Download: Presentation [.pdf]

"Single Layer Fluoropolymer Resists for 157 nm Lithography," paper at the SPIE Microlithography Symposium, February, 2003.
Download: Paper [.pdf]