Feasibility study of chemically amplified resists for short wavelength extreme ultraviolet lithography

With the realization of 13.5 nm extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, further reduction in wavelength has attracted much attention. In this study, the optical images, sensitization processes, and chemical reactions in a chemically amplified resist were calculated to estimate the performance of the resist upon exposure to 6.67 nm EUV radiation. It was found that the reduction in wavelength improves the lithographic image quality even if the secondary electrons generated by high-energy photons are taken into account. One of the keys to the realization of 6.67nm lithography is the development of high-absorption resists.