Novel Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Photoresists Derived from Atomic Layer Deposition Techniques for Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Lithography

Angstrom-scale semiconductor scaling enabled by extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is critical for advancing the energy efficiency and performance of current and future microelectronics. In this talk, I will present our recent progress on the vapor-phase synthesis of novel organic–inorganic hybrid EUV resists using atomic layer deposition (ALD) techniques—specifically, vapor-phase infiltration (VPI) and molecular ALD (MALD)—and discuss their electron beam and EUV patterning characteristics. VPI involves infiltrating gaseous inorganic precursors into existing organic resists, whereas MALD uses cyclic deposition of organic and inorganic moieties. Key findings from our work include: (1) the critical role of compatibility between infiltrated inorganic species and resist developers in VPI-derived resists, and (2) the correlation between 100 eV electron beam sensitivity and EUV sensitivity in MALD resists. If time permits, I will also provide a brief overview and update on the DOE Accelerate Initiative project titled “Angstrom Era Semiconductor Patterning Material Development Accelerator”, which aims to accelerate the development of next-generation EUV photoresists through ALD-derived resist synthesis and the correlation of EUV patterning performance with cost-effective laboratory proxy characterizations.