Recent progress in nanoparticle photoresists development for EUV lithography

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is a promising candidate for next generation lithography. For high volume manufacturing of semiconductor devices, significant improvement of resolution and sensitivity is required for successful implementation of EUV resists. Performance requirements for such resists demand the development of entirely new resist platforms. Cornell University has intensely studied metal oxide nanoparticle photoresists with high sensitivity for EUV lithography applications. Zirconium oxide nanoparticles with PAG enabling sub 30nm line negative tone patterns at an EUV dose below 5 mJ/cm 2 show one of the best EUV sensitivity results ever reported. In this paper, recent progress in metal oxide nanoparticle photoresist research will be discussed. Several studies regarding composition investigation and new metal element study are reported.