Periodic Reporting for period 1 - IO-PR (Silicon-Rich Materials for Advanced Semiconductor Fabrication)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-08-01 bis 2024-07-31
Semiconductor chips empower all modern digital technology and are an integral part of our lives. Only a handful of companies can produce them in their advanced forms or equipment and materials for the nanometre-scale precision required for their manufacture.
Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is the key process to achieve 3 nm node in semiconductor manufacturing. Development of the EUV materials to meet the process requirements has been crucial and challenging. Chemically amplified photoresists (CARs) have been widely used in EUV lithography due to its high sensitivity. However, as the feature size reduces further, it has reached the limit of pattern resolution and etch resistance of CARs. PiBond is one of two companies globally who have innovated inorganic EUV materials meeting future needs. The inorganic EUV materials have the potential to achieve better lithographic performance, in terms of resolution and etch resistance, than CARs. Yet the development of underlayers that can assist the performance of photoresists is also crucial.
This high-risk project enables us to unlock a significant portion of advanced chips market of >500Bn€ and SAM of >3Bn€ in photoresist materials. Our project is critical for the EU goals in semiconductor manufacturing (Chips Act).
Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is the key process to achieve 3 nm node in semiconductor manufacturing. Development of the EUV materials to meet the process requirements has been crucial and challenging. Chemically amplified photoresists (CARs) have been widely used in EUV lithography due to its high sensitivity. However, as the feature size reduces further, it has reached the limit of pattern resolution and etch resistance of CARs. PiBond is one of two companies globally who have innovated inorganic EUV materials meeting future needs. The inorganic EUV materials have the potential to achieve better lithographic performance, in terms of resolution and etch resistance, than CARs. Yet the development of underlayers that can assist the performance of photoresists is also crucial.
This high-risk project enables us to unlock a significant portion of advanced chips market of >500Bn€ and SAM of >3Bn€ in photoresist materials. Our project is critical for the EU goals in semiconductor manufacturing (Chips Act).
• Optimized the material compositions of Si photoresist that has demonstrated a better resolution in EUV lithography.
• Studied the effects on the amount of solubility enhancer in the Si photoresist on its lithographic performance.
• Optimized process conditions of the newly developed Si photoresist to achieve better lithographic performance.
• Utilized functionalized Si-based EUV underlayers that are developed in-house to improve Si photoresist sensitivity.
• Collaborated with an external partner to study the effect of Si-based EUV underlayer on imec POR resist performance.
• Developed new spin-on metal-containing EUV underlayers that demonstrate good etch resistance.
• Developed metal-containing EUV photoresists that can theoretically achieve high resolution and sensitivity.
• Studied the effects on the amount of solubility enhancer in the Si photoresist on its lithographic performance.
• Optimized process conditions of the newly developed Si photoresist to achieve better lithographic performance.
• Utilized functionalized Si-based EUV underlayers that are developed in-house to improve Si photoresist sensitivity.
• Collaborated with an external partner to study the effect of Si-based EUV underlayer on imec POR resist performance.
• Developed new spin-on metal-containing EUV underlayers that demonstrate good etch resistance.
• Developed metal-containing EUV photoresists that can theoretically achieve high resolution and sensitivity.
• Resolution of line/space pattern was improved from half pitch 30 nm down to half pitch 14 nm by incorporating different solubility groups into the material. The improvement in patterning resolution opens the opportunities to enter the markets for memory device applications. Further developments are needed to increase the resist sensitivity.
• By optimizing the concentration of solubility group in the material, the resist development time was reduced from 3 minutes to 30 seconds. This finding allows us to tune the material compositions and process parameters to meet different patterning requirements from customers. Further work is needed to optimize the process conditions in industrial equipment.
• EUV dose of Si photoresist to pattern half pitch 14 nm line/space was reduced 24% by applying Si-based EUV underlayer that is developed in-house. The outcome provides a solution to improve the EUV sensitivity of Si photoresists. It also broadens the market for our products from EUV photoresists to underlayers.
• The new concept of metal-containing EUV materials, which can be used as underlayers and photoresists, has been developed and protected by the patent. The underlayer materials have demonstrated excellent etch selectivity and were requested by the customer to provide the demo. The proof of concept of EUV photoresists has been validated in laboratory environment and showed promising results that can potentially achieve higher resolution with higher sensitivity. Further work on the reproducibility and stability of the materials is needed. This concept provides not only a mitigation plan for Si-based photoresists but also opens new opportunities for next generation photoresists.
• We have not participated in any standardization or regulatory work. However, we have monitored that the technology and materials developed are compliant with ECHA and other regulations, including those that may be implemented in EU-wide legislation.
• By optimizing the concentration of solubility group in the material, the resist development time was reduced from 3 minutes to 30 seconds. This finding allows us to tune the material compositions and process parameters to meet different patterning requirements from customers. Further work is needed to optimize the process conditions in industrial equipment.
• EUV dose of Si photoresist to pattern half pitch 14 nm line/space was reduced 24% by applying Si-based EUV underlayer that is developed in-house. The outcome provides a solution to improve the EUV sensitivity of Si photoresists. It also broadens the market for our products from EUV photoresists to underlayers.
• The new concept of metal-containing EUV materials, which can be used as underlayers and photoresists, has been developed and protected by the patent. The underlayer materials have demonstrated excellent etch selectivity and were requested by the customer to provide the demo. The proof of concept of EUV photoresists has been validated in laboratory environment and showed promising results that can potentially achieve higher resolution with higher sensitivity. Further work on the reproducibility and stability of the materials is needed. This concept provides not only a mitigation plan for Si-based photoresists but also opens new opportunities for next generation photoresists.
• We have not participated in any standardization or regulatory work. However, we have monitored that the technology and materials developed are compliant with ECHA and other regulations, including those that may be implemented in EU-wide legislation.