Laser-assisted enhancement of etching resistance in PMMA via silicon ablation

초록

In extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, maintaining sufficient etch resistance of photoresist (PR) materials has become a major issue as film thickness decreases to achieve high-resolution patterning. To overcome this limitation, diverse approaches such as chemical doping and novel material development have been actively explored. In this study, we propose a new method for enhancing the etch resistance of photoresist by generating laser-induced plasma through pulsed laser ablation. The process was carried out using acrylic-based polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Experimental results indicated that employing this material in the process effectively enhances the etch resistance of PRs. Reactive ion etching (RIE) evaluations confirmed that laser-irradiated PMMA shows relatively higher etch resistance compared to pristine PMMA.

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