Lithography is crucial for the manufacture of electronic semiconductor components, whereby the development of new resists with high sensitivity and resolution is necessary to increase component density and overcome the challenges of mass production. With the new research project “Individual nanotechnological polymer platform for the mass production capability of future semiconductor generations” (IndiNaPoly), Fraunhofer expert teams are supporting the chemical industry in gaining a technological edge over international competitors and opening up new markets. These include resist manufacturers, who are an important link in the semiconductor industry. The results of the project will benefit manufacturers of specialty polymers and chemical products for the electronics industry, as well as resin manufacturers and producers of semiconductors.
Radiation-sensitive coating for electron beam lithography
The “IndiNaPoly” project addresses the challenges of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum and neuromorphic computing, 5G, autonomous driving and the Internet of Things. The focus is on the development of more sensitive resists for electron beam lithography, which can image nanoscale structures with high resolution and shorter exposure times. The “IndiNaPoly” project closes the existing gap between sensitivity and resolution in electron beam lithography, which requires the bundling of chemical and process engineering expertise.
The project goals are achieved through the interplay of individual polymer synthesis according to the modular principle and continuous optimization of the lithographic process steps. This enables higher resolutions and shorter exposure times, thereby contributing to energy savings and reducing the CO2 footprint.
Pooled Fraunhofer expertise
In the “IndiNaPoly” project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF is concentrating on researching and developing new polymer materials. The focus is on improving imaging properties and developing faster and more sustainable synthesis strategies. In addition to resolution and sensitivity, other properties of the resulting resists are also being examined, such as adhesion to the substrate, etching stability and environmental compatibility.
At the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS, the newly developed resists will be integrated into processes along the entire semiconductor production chain. At the same time, the potential applications of the sensitive and high-resolution resists in important future topics such as sensor technology, quantum computing and photonics will be advanced. Through the detailed characterization of the coatings developed in the project with regard to their performance in lithographic process steps, the further structure transfer into various materials by means of etching and the final coating removal, an attractive technology platform for industry will be established.
The findings from the characterization offer the potential to be trend-setting for polymer synthesis with regard to molecular parameters such as molar mass distribution or chemical composition. The intensive cooperation between the two institutes will enable the optimization of the developed resists over the entire duration of the project.
As pioneers in the cooperation between chemical and process technology-focused institutes, the two institutes Fraunhofer LBF and ENAS are pooling their expertise and jointly developing new solutions and application-ready technologies. The “IndiNaPoly” project is funded by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft as part of the PREPARE program and will run for three years.
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Further links
👉 www.enas.fraunhofer.de
Photo: Fraunhofer
