SGER: Assembled Nanotubes as High Sensitivity Resists

电子投影光刻和X射线光刻在某种程度上都会受到电子邻近效应的影响，这对集成电路中的关键尺寸是非常不利的，无论机器多么复杂。提出的新概念实际上消除了电子邻近效应，并达到100 nm以下的分辨率，这依赖于基于无机纳米管-聚合物复合材料(纳米复合材料)的各向异性抗蚀剂的使用。最初的解决方案是通过迫使二次电子沿着纳米复合材料的柱状微结构施加的垂直路径来强烈减少二次电子的横向散射。纳米复合材料的开发可分为三个相互关联的阶段：第一阶段：化学合成一系列高对比度、高灵敏度的抗蚀剂(该项目的核心)。用已建立的液晶方法处理硅酸盐-金属-表面活性剂中间相，然后聚合无机组分，以制备有序的有机-无机抗蚀剂。纳米复合材料将以金属氧化物/液晶核/纳米颗粒为基础，具有功能化的表面，PMMA齐聚物可以接枝到其上，并被工程化为类似3D晶体的无团聚结构。还将在流体介质中检查介观结构的对准，从而有机-无机抗蚀剂可以旋转到晶片上，磁性对准，然后在干燥后以所需的取向，即在电子束的方向上冻结。后者满足通过强迫二次电子沿着各向异性电阻的柱状微结构施加的垂直路径来强烈减少二次电子的横向散射的标准。第二阶段：辐射-纳米复合材料相互作用的抗蚀剂表征和基础研究。这些材料将通过热分析，即DSC和TGA来表征，以确定其玻璃化温度和热稳定性，通过凝胶渗透色谱(GPC)测定分子量，通过剥离和起泡试验测定附着力，通过粘度计测定流变学，通过旋涂成膜测定薄膜形成，通过透射仪和轮廓仪测定薄膜厚度。用红外光谱分析抗蚀剂材料的耐酸碱稳定性。包括高分辨电子显微镜、原子力显微镜/扫描隧道显微镜在内的扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜将有助于深入了解无机-有机纳米复合材料的三维结构。在不同温度(液氮到温度)和不同压力下保持的纳米复合材料的原位FTIR光谱基本上将跟踪基本辐射效应。阶段3：抗蚀剂的高分辨率光刻测试(与2同时进行)。用高分辨扫描电子显微镜的精细聚焦电子束在抗蚀剂中绘制一系列按距离递减分开的平行线(类似于栅线)将给出对分辨率的估计，从而对抗蚀剂中的邻近效应进行估计。然后用平行的宽电子束(或X射线)充斥掩模来测试电阻。微电子工业面临的一个主要挑战是具有低于100 nm临界尺寸的集成电路的大规模生产。这种抗蚀剂的一个明显优点是，它可以在不改变现有工业设备的情况下，通过电子投影光刻和X射线光刻轻松地获得低于100 nm的分辨率，从而大大节省了开发时间和投资。

9902944GonsalvesElectron projection lithography and, to some extent, X-Ray lithography suffer from electron proximity effects, which is highly detrimental to the critical dimension in integrated cirduits no matter how sophisticated the machines are. The proposed new concept to virtually eliminate the electron proximity effects and to attain sub-100 nm resolution relies on the use of anisotropic resists based on inorganic nanotubes-polymer composites (NANOCOMPOSITES). The original solution is to strongly reduce the lateral scattering of the secondary electrons by forcing them to follow vertical paths imposed by the columnated microstructure of the nanocomposite. Three interrelated phases in the nanocomposite development can be distinguished: PHASE 1: the chemical synthesis of a series of high contrast, high sensitivity resists (core of the project). Processing silicate-metal-surfactant mesophases by established liquid crystal mehtods and then polymerizing the inorganic component will be investigated for producing ordered organic-inorganic resists. Nanocomposites will be prepared based on metal oxide/liquid crystal cores/nanoparticles with functionalized sufaces onto which PMMA oligomers can be grafted and engineered into 3D crystal like non-agglomerated structures. The alignment of the mesoscopic structures will also be examined in fluid media, such that the organic-inorganic resists can be spun on to a wafer, magnetically aligned and then frozen in the desired orientation after drying, i.e., in the direction of the e-beam. The latter meets the criterion for strongly reducing the lateral scattering of secondary electrons by forcing them to follow veritcal paths imposed by the columnated microstructure of the anisotropic resis. PHASE 2: resist characterization and fundamental study of radiation-nanocomposite interaction. These materials will be characterized via thermal analysis, viz DSC and TGA for detemining their Tg and thermal stability, molecular weight by GPC; adhesion by peel and blister tests; rheology by viscometry; film formation by spin-coating and film thickness by ellopsometry and profilometry. The stability of the resist materials will be analyzed for their resistance to acids and bases by IR spectroscopy. SEM, TEM including HRTEM, AFM/STM will contribute to invaluable insight into the 3D structures of the inorganic-organic nanocomposite materials. Fundamental radiation effects will be essentially followed by in situ FTIR spectroscopy of the nanocomposite maintained at variable Temperatures (LN2 to RT) and pressures. PHASE 3: high resolution lithographic tests of the resists (Concurrent with 2). Drawing a series of parallel lines (akin to a grating) separated by decreasing distances in the resist with a finely focused e-beam of a HRSEM will give an estimation of the resolution and, thus of the proximity effects in the resist. Then a parallel broad e-beam (or X-Ray) flooding a mask will be used to test the resist.A major challenge facing the microelectronic industry is the mass production of integrated circuits having sub-100 nm critical dimentsions. A clear-cut advantage of the proposed resist is that it might enable sub- 100 nm resolution to be readily attained by electron projection lithography and X-Rays lithography without modifying the existing industrial machines, which considerably could save development time and investment.