Properties and mutual interactions of various acrylate monomers used in 193 nm resists

Both the physical and chemical properties of various acrylate monomers, typ ically used in polymer matrices for 193 nm lithography, are investigated. T he influence of each monomer on the glass transition temperature (Tg) of th e final polymer is determined. The high Tg values measured for the differen t polymers lead to the conclusion that most acrylate based formulations ten d to be non-annealing type resists. Mutual chemical interactions between mo nomers are also demonstrated. These phenomena underline the limits of the i ntroduction of alicyclic ester groups in acrylic polymers and the complexit y of the mechanisms involved in these resists.