Multiparameter Method for Developer Screening of Molecular Glass Resists via Molecular Simulations

Peng Lian; Zhuoran Liu; Rui Hu; Guoqiang Yang; Tianjun Yu; Jinping Chen; Yi Li; Yi Zeng

doi:10.1021/acsami.4c11212

Multiparameter Method for Developer Screening of Molecular Glass Resists via Molecular Simulations

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2024 Oct 15. doi: 10.1021/acsami.4c11212. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Peng Lian^{1

2}, Zhuoran Liu^{1

2}, Rui Hu³, Guoqiang Yang³, Tianjun Yu¹, Jinping Chen^{1

2}, Yi Li^{1

2}, Yi Zeng^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
² University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.

PMID: 39403918
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c11212

Abstract

Efficient and accurate developer screening is critical for high-resolution lithography. In this study, a multiparameter (MP) method simultaneously based on the Hansen solubility parameters (HSP), two-component solubility parameters (TSP), and order parameter (OP) is proposed for the developer screening of molecular glass resists via molecular dynamics simulation. A customized solvent database, including 80 organic solvents, is created for the subsequent developer screening. Two diagram forms of HSP (δ_D-δ_P-δ_H diagram and δ_V-δ_H diagram) were investigated, and the δ_V-δ_H diagram is utilized due to its higher solubility prediction consistency with OP. Then, two solubility prediction diagrams, i.e., HSP&OP and TSP&OP diagrams, were formed using the MP method. The developer screening scheme using the MP method is illustrated for a decomposable resist, AD10BOC, and a cross-linkable resist, AD4C. Meanwhile, the feasibility of the developer screening scheme is verified by practical lithography experiments. In addition, relative solvation free energy (RSFE) calculations and dissolution experiments of six resists are implemented to further confirm the accuracy of OP in reflecting the relative solubility of the resist in various solvents. This study presents a viable approach for developer screening, which will facilitate the development of resist materials.

Keywords: developer screening; molecular simulation; order parameter; resist; solubility parameter.