In situCharacterization of Photoresist Dissolution

The dissolution process plays an important role in optimizing photoresist materials and processes for next-generation lithographic technologies. In this paper, we describe the application of high-speed atomic force microscopy for in situ analysis and characterization of photoresist dissolution. In particular, the physical changes in an exposed extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photoresist film are analyzed in real time – before, during, and after the development process. In this initial work, we report the dissolution characteristics of an EUV-exposed poly(4-hyrdroxystyrene)-based polymer resist processed with a tetramethylammonium hydroxide developer solution.