Chemical Mapping of Patterned Polymer Photoresists by Near-Field Infrared Microscopy

Published

May 1, 2001

Author(s)

B Dragnea, J Preusser, J Szarko, L A. McDonough, S R. Leone, W D. Hinsberg

Abstract

Latent images obtained by deep-ultraviolet (DUV) patterning and post-exposure bake in the polymer system poly(t-butylmethacrylate) resist/triphenyl sulfonium photoacid generator are characterized by infrared near-field microscopy (IR-NSOM). Chemical sub-group specificity is achieved in the infrared near-field images by using wavelengths tuned on the OH absorption band of the poly(methacrylate acid) resulting from the photoacid-catalyzed decomposition of t-butoxycarbonyl groups. The experimental images of the patterned thin polymer film are compared with predictions based on scalar diffraction theory calculations for the initial light illumination step through the mask. Partialdisagreement between the theory and the experiment is observed, but only for certain line/space dimensions of the pattern. The results suggesta structure-dependent chemistry during the latent development.

Citation

Applied Surface Science

Volume

175

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

chemically amplified resists, infrared microscopy, near-field optics, polymer photochemistry, vibrational microspectroscopy

Citation

Dragnea, B. , Preusser, J. , Szarko, J. , McDonough, L. , Leone, S. and Hinsberg, W. (2001), Chemical Mapping of Patterned Polymer Photoresists by Near-Field Infrared Microscopy, Applied Surface Science (Accessed July 27, 2024)