High-performance metal organic cluster resists for high-NA extreme ultraviolet lithography

High-NA EUV lithography stands at the forefront of enabling single-digit technology nodes in High-Volume Chip Manufacturing (HVCM), representing a transformative leap in the semiconductor industry. To harness this, it is essential to develop unique nano Metal-Organic Clusters (nMOCs) resists that can effectively address the challenges of high resolution, sensitivity, roughness, stochastic effects, and trade-offs. nMOCs can remarkably pattern high-resolution features below 15 nm with low line-edge roughness (LER) and exceptional EUV sensitivity (λ ~ 13.5 nm), ascribed to innovative integration of metal cores and ligands, which enhances performance. On the other hand, elevated sensitivity can compromise resolution due to excessive energy absorption, resulting in HR pattern blurring and proximity effects, over-exposing unintended resist areas. This study seeks to pioneer the development of cutting-edge Indium (In) based nMOCs resists pre-screened through Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) and Helium Ion Beam Lithography (HIBL) and prelude for EUVL. The key to overcoming these challenges lies in the strategic design of ligands for QSAR characteristics and absorptivity. Focusing, these efforts can drive significant advancements in lithography technology, ensuring the future of high-performance chip manufacturing.