US 11,809,080 B2
Extreme ultraviolet photoresist with high-efficiency electron transfer
Wei-Han Lai, New Taipei (TW); Chin-Hsiang Lin, Hsin-chu (TW); and Chien-Wei Wang, Zhubei (TW)
Assigned to TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD., Hsin-Chu (TW)
Filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Hsin-Chu (TW)
Filed on Jul. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/816,004.
Application 17/816,004 is a continuation of application No. 16/719,757, filed on Dec. 18, 2019, granted, now 11,422,465.
Application 16/719,757 is a continuation of application No. 15/614,032, filed on Jun. 5, 2017, granted, now 10,520,813, issued on Dec. 31, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/434,961, filed on Dec. 15, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0382156 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G03F 7/004 (2006.01); G03F 7/039 (2006.01); C07D 247/02 (2006.01); C07D 273/00 (2006.01)
CPC G03F 7/0397 (2013.01) [C07D 247/02 (2013.01); G03F 7/0045 (2013.01); G03F 7/0046 (2013.01); G03F 7/0392 (2013.01); C07D 273/00 (2013.01); G03F 7/0042 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
forming a photoresist layer over a substrate, wherein the photoresist layer includes a polymer responsive to an acid, a photo-acid generator (PAG), and a sensitizer bonded to the polymer, wherein the sensitizer includes an imidazole ring and a hydroxy, wherein the hydroxy is attached to a carbon atom in the imidazole ring, wherein the carbon atom is directly bonded to a nitrogen atom in the imidazole ring, wherein the PAG includes a sulfonium cation or an iodonium cation, wherein the PAG further includes a heterocyclic ring directly bonded to the sulfonium cation or the iodonium cation, and wherein the heterocyclic ring includes one nitrogen atom and less than six carbon atoms;
performing an exposing process to the photoresist layer; and
developing the photoresist layer, thereby forming a patterned photoresist layer.