POS10-1080
Molecular Simulation of Positive-Tone Tin-Oxo Resists Based on Lewis Acid–Base Interactions for EUV Lithography
Topic
S10. AI-assisted Design and Simulation of Polymers
When and Where
Sep 30, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Heesuk KIM
Jinhye BAE
Presenter(s)
Sehyun Yun (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
As extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) advances toward high-NA systems requiring ever-thinner resist films, metal oxide resists (MOR), particularly tin-oxo cluster-based resists, have gained attention owing to their high photon absorption and excellent etch resistance. While most tin-oxo MOR operate as negative-tone resists, positive-tone resists are often preferred for the complex, multistep processes involved in semiconductor device and photomask fabrication. Although this negative-to-positive tone reversal has been recently explored, computational studies elucidating its underlying mechanism remain scarce.
Using large-scale coarse-grained molecular simulations, we develop, to our knowledge, the first molecular model for positive-tone tin-oxo MOR patterning, representing exposure-induced ligand dissociation and Lewis acid–base interactions between tin-oxo clusters and Lewis-base. Prior to exposure, ligand-capped tin-oxo clusters and Lewis-base form acid–base associations that render the film insoluble in the developer. Exposure-induced ligand dissociation then exposes undercoordinated, more Lewis-acidic Sn sites that are preferentially solvated by the developer, so the exposed regions dissolve selectively during development. In particular, we compare a blend system, in which tin-oxo clusters and Lewis bases randomly form a Lewis acid–base network, with a system designed to have a uniform network structure, to examine how network uniformity affects positive-tone patterning behavior. This approach provides mechanistic insight into the negative-to-positive tone reversal in tin-oxo MOR.
Using large-scale coarse-grained molecular simulations, we develop, to our knowledge, the first molecular model for positive-tone tin-oxo MOR patterning, representing exposure-induced ligand dissociation and Lewis acid–base interactions between tin-oxo clusters and Lewis-base. Prior to exposure, ligand-capped tin-oxo clusters and Lewis-base form acid–base associations that render the film insoluble in the developer. Exposure-induced ligand dissociation then exposes undercoordinated, more Lewis-acidic Sn sites that are preferentially solvated by the developer, so the exposed regions dissolve selectively during development. In particular, we compare a blend system, in which tin-oxo clusters and Lewis bases randomly form a Lewis acid–base network, with a system designed to have a uniform network structure, to examine how network uniformity affects positive-tone patterning behavior. This approach provides mechanistic insight into the negative-to-positive tone reversal in tin-oxo MOR.
