Abstract
We demonstrate a method using photoactivation localization microscopy (PALM) in a soft-material system, with a rhodamine-lactam dye that is activated by both ultraviolet light and protonation, to reveal the nanoscale photoacid distribution in a model photoresist. Chemically amplified resists are the principal lithographic materials used in the semiconductor industry. The photoacid distribution generated upon exposure and its subsequent evolution during post-exposure bake is a major limiting factor in determining the resolution and lithographic quality of the final developed resist image. Our PALM data sets resolve the acid distribution in a latent image with subdiffraction limit accuracy. Our overall accuracy is currently limited by residual mechanical drift.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 9496-9502 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | ACS nano |
Volume | 6 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2012 Nov 27 |
Keywords
- chemically amplified resist
- lithography
- photoacid
- single-molecule fluorescence
- super-resolution microscopy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Materials Science(all)
- Engineering(all)
- Physics and Astronomy(all)