Improved chemically amplified photoresist characterization using interdigitated electrode sensors: photoacid diffusivity measurements

The ability of interdigitated electrodes to serve as novel chemically amplified resist characterization tools has recently been demonstrated through their ability to measure the Dill C kinetic rate constant for photoacid generation. The work presented in this paper attempts to further extend the capabilities of the interdigitated electrode (IDE) sensors by investigating their potential use as a measurement tool for photoacid diffusion coefficients. Impedance spectroscopy of chemically amplified photoresist coated interdigitated electrodes is used to calculate the bulk ionic conductivity of the resist film. The ionic conductivity is subsequently utilized in the Nernst-Einstein equation to calculate the diffusion coefficient of the photoacid, assuming that it is the major charge carrying species in the film. A detailed description of the measurement and data analysis processes required to calculate the diffusion coefficient of triphenylsulfonium triflate in poly(p-hydroxystyrene) is provided. In addition, the effect of varying the relative humidity of the measurement environment upon the impedance data collected has been examined. It has been observed that the presence of water within the resist film, typically as a result of absorption of water from the humid ambient environment, dramatically changes the conductivity of the resist coated IDE. This change is apparently the result of changes in the proton conduction mechanism within the resist as a function of film water content. A discussion of several possible causes of this phenomena and its impact on the interpretation of the electrical data and the calculation and meaning of an acid diffusion coefficient are presented.