Structurally variable cyclopolymers with excellent etch resistance and their application to 193 nm lithography

We report on the development and exploitation of a new type of chemically amplified resist for 193 nm microlithography. The approach has great versatility as it involves a general structure amenable to radical cyclopolymerization that contains easily interchanged ester functionalities. As the mechanism of polymerization involves free radicals, changes may be made either in the polymerization conditions or in the monomer feed to adjust variables such molecular weight or etch resistance. The latter property is favorably influenced by the formation of new ring structures during polymerization. Variations in the nature of the ester moieties contained in the monomer are easily accomplished to modify the imaging characteristics, surface properties, or etch resistance of the polymers. We report the preparation of a number of novel polymer and copolymer structures and their preliminary testing as resist candidates for 193 nm lithography.