Electron Beam Curing of Polymer Resists

软真空产生电子的束流物理、硬化和干显影的等离子体化学以及电子诱导聚合物的变化将统一进行研究。软真空电子束源将被表征，充分考虑到背景气体对束流能谱的改变。众所周知，电子敏感聚合物和新型聚合物都将使用适当的气体介质进行处理，以增强聚合物表面化学和气化反应。该技术有望提高用于微电子加工的半导体电阻图案的固化速度和图案分辨率。这可以增加电路密度。将与工业合作伙伴探讨在电子和半导体制造中的应用。

The beam physics of soft vacuum generated electrons, the plasma chemistry of hardening and dry development and electron- induce polymer changes will be examined in a unified manner. Soft vacuum electron beam sources will be characterized, fully accounting for modification of the beam energy spectrum by the background gas. Both well known, electron-sensitive polymers and new polymers will be processed using appropriate gaseous media that enhance polymer surface chemistry and gasification reactions. The techniques promises to increase the curing speed and pattern resolution of the semiconductor resist patterns which are used in microelectronic processing. This may allow increased circuit density. Applications in electronic and semiconductor manufacturing will be explored with industrial collaborators.