Benchmark of a lithography simulation tool for next generation applications

Lithography continues to be a key process in IC manufacturing. A number of process steps, e.g., exposure, baking, and development are required to transfer patterns into the photoresist. In many cases, simulation helps to understand and improve these processes. This paper focuses on a critical step during the process of chemically amplified resists, namely the resist bake after exposure, which changes the solubility of the resist. Two different numerical algorithms are evaluated for the simulation of this process step. First, the IISB internal research simulation tool Dr. LiTHO and second, the WIAS research toolbox pdelib2, a general solver for systems of nonlinear reaction diffusion equations, are briefly described. Finally, the algorithms are compared for different patterns printed into the resist.