LITHOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF A POSITIVE-ACTING CHEMICALLY AMPLIFIED RESIST SYSTEM UNDER CONVENTIONAL AND PROJECTION ELECTRON-BEAM EXPOSURES

New resist materials and processes are necessary to pattern sub-0.18 m u m design rule circuits with advanced x-ray and electron-beam lithogr aphic technologies. We have evaluated a new deep-ultraviolet multicomp onent positive-acting chemically amplified resist (ARCH: advanced resi st chemically amplified), that exhibits excellent resolution under dee p-ultraviolet exposure, and furthermore an overcoat is not used to pro tect against any basic airborne contaminants. Different formulations o f the resist system were studied with electron-beam lithography in an attempt to enhance sensitivity and maintain wide process latitude and high resolution. In our study we compare the lithographic characterist ics of the resist under electron-beam exposure, with either a Cambridg e EBMF vector scan system operating at 40 keV or a JEOL JBX-5DII syste m operating at 50 keV, to those obtained at 100 keV with a scattering with angular limitation projection electron lithography (SCALPEL) expe rimental tool. Using the direct write exposure tool at 50 keV, the bas ic resist formulation displayed a 0.09 mu m resolution and a sensitivi ty of 25 mu C/cm(2). When an enhanced resist system was studied, a sen sitivity of 9 mu C/cm(2) was displayed with comparable resolution. The resolution of the positive-acting resist material exposed with SCALPE L was not only affected by the writing tool, but also by the mask tone . (C) 1995 American Vacuum Society.