New polymer for 157-nm single-layer resist based on fluorine-containing acryl copolymer

We are reporting on the development of acryl polymer based on novel methacrylate and acrylate monomers with various trifluoromethyl groups for the application to 157nm chemically amplified positive-tone resists. The (alpha) - trifluoromethylation of the alkyl ester in methacrylate or acrylate could employ the reduction of acrylpolymer absorbance at 157nm by spectra analysis with the VUV-200 spectrophotometer by JASCO. Although the trifluoromethyl groups could employ the reduction of base polymer absorbance at 157nm, the homopolymers have issued weak etch resistance as a photoresist base polymer. To take account of this issue, we have developed a novel monomer, trifluoromethyl- iso-adamantylmethacrylate (TFIAdMA) and a new co-polymer system with the combination of fluorinated methacrylate derivatives and substituted p-hydroxystyrene. The absorption coefficient of poly(p-tert-butoxystyren-co- hexafluoro-tert-butyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) incicated to be less than 3 micrometers -1 at 157nm. Patterning results were obtained with a 157nm contact exposure system of VUVES-4500 by LTJ. One of the experimental resists, based on a particular polymer ratio and photo acid generator, has clearly achieved 180nm line and space pattern resolution. At 140nm resist film thickness, the sensitivity was 31 mJ/cm2 when using 0,26N tetrametylammonium hydroxide surfactant type developer.