Negative-tone imaging (NTI) process for ArF immersion and EUV lithography to improve ‘Chemical Stochastic’

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is ready for realize 7 nm generation node manufacturing and beyond. However, the performance of EUV resist is still not enough for the true HVM requirements. One critical issue is the stochastic issues, which will be become ‘defectivity’. Also, the extension of ArF immersion lithography is still important because the introducing of EUV lithography seems not easy. Negative tone imaging (NTI) process is a method for obtaining a negative-tone reversal pattern by developing with an organic solvent. We report herein ArF immersion-NTI can break-through the resolution limit, also EUV-NTI can improve the stochastic issues.