Spin-coatable Al2O3 resists in electron-beam nanolithography

Mohammad S.M. Saifullah; Hideo Namatsu; Toru Yamaguchi; Kenji Yamazaki; Kenji Kurihara

doi:10.1117/12.350248

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11 June 1999 Spin-coatable Al₂O₃ resists in electron-beam nanolithography

Mohammad S.M. Saifullah, Hideo Namatsu, Toru Yamaguchi, Kenji Yamazaki, Kenji Kurihara

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Proceedings Volume 3678, Advances in Resist Technology and Processing XVI; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.350248
Event: Microlithography '99, 1999, Santa Clara, CA, United States

Abstract

Inorganic resist such as amorphous alumina are projected as potential candidates for high resolution electron beam nanolithography; the drawbacks being its low sensitivity and tedious deposition process such as sputtering. Therefore, a spin-coatable Al₂O₃ resist with higher sensitivity is strongly desirable to overcome these drawbacks. In this paper, we describe the electron beam exposure characteristics of spin-coatable Al₂O₃ gel films prepared by reacting aluminium tri-sec-butoxide, Al(OBu^s)₃ with chelating agents like ethylacetoacetate. The electron beam sensitivity of approximately 70nm thick Al₂O₃ gel films baked at 40 degrees C as well as in the no-bake condition is approximately 4mCcm^-2, which is approximately 10⁶ times higher than the sputtered alumina films. Baking at 70 degrees C seems to produce little change in the sensitivity. The Fourier transformed IR spectroscopy studies indicate that the increased sensitivity of these films is due to the rapid breakdown of chelate rings under the electron beam. This rapid breakdown of organic bonds could have resulted in the appearance of inorganic Al-O bonds which are insoluble in acetone. Indeed the spin-coatable Al₂O₃ resist provides high resolution negative line patterns of linewidth of about 20nm.

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Mohammad S.M. Saifullah, Hideo Namatsu, Toru Yamaguchi, Kenji Yamazaki, and Kenji Kurihara "Spin-coatable Al₂O₃ resists in electron-beam nanolithography", Proc. SPIE 3678, Advances in Resist Technology and Processing XVI, (11 June 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.350248

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