APPLICATION OF PLASMA-POLYMERIZED METHYLSILANE RESIST FOR ALL-DRY 193NM DEEP-ULTRAVIOLET PROCESSING

Preliminary experiments employing plasma polymerized methylsilane (PPM S) as a single and bilayer resist system demonstrated that the resist process developed at 248 nm is extendible for application at 193 nm, P PMS exhibited excellent photosensitivity with efficient photo-oxidativ e bleaching when exposed to 193 nm radiation in air. PPMS as thick as 200 nm demonstrated complete bleaching throughout the film. A nitrogen atmosphere was found to quench the photo-oxidative bleaching, However , upon switching the gas ambient to air, the photo-oxidative bleaching rapidly proceeded to completion. Both positive- and negative-tone ima ges were achieved with PPMS at 193 nm depending upon the development p rocess. Using negative-tone development in a chlorine plasma, 0.2 mu m line/spaces were resolved in 100 nm films at an exposure dose of 20 m J/cm(2) and with a depth of focus of nearly 1.0 mu m. (C) 1995 America n Vacuum Society.