CHEMICAL AMPLIFICATION IN THE DESIGN OF RADIATION-SENSITIVE POLYMERS.

Approaches to the design of resist materials which incorporate chemical amplification have been directed toward three different areas: Synthesis of polymers which undergo radiation-induced modification of side-chain polarity in a catalytic process. Synthesis of thermally depolymerizable polycarbonates designed to provide imaging via an acid catalyzed multiple chain-scission process. This design concept is extended to a variety of tertiary, allylic, and benzylic polycarbonates. These share the same ability to undergo facile acid-catalyzed thermolysis, with formation of volatile low molecular weight fragments. Chemical amplification is seen as a promising approach in the search for new systems which can be used in deep-UV imaging. The systems described show that the resist chemist can make a voluable contribution to microlithography through appropriate molecular design and the application of simple chemical concepts.