The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography enables sub-10 nm patterning, but chemically amplified resists (CARs) face significant LER (line edge roughness) challenges. While polymer-based CARs offer processing advantages, their performance is heavily influenced by the glass transition temperature (Tg), a factor that remains inadequately understood. However, systematic investigation has been hindered by the difficulty of measuring Tg effects under thin-film processing conditions. Here, we employ a coarse-grained simulation framework to study the influence of Tg on CAR performance, considering molecular weight, acid diffusion, and interparticle interactions. Our results reveal that polymers with Tg below the post-exposure bake temperature show enhanced deprotection and sharper boundaries, leading to reduced LER. These insights establish design principles for developing high-performance polymer resists in EUV lithography.