Antireflection Coatings and Reflectivity Control

Between the idea And the reality Between the motion And the act Falls the shadow 

Antireflection coatings can be applied at the resist-substrate interface, in which case they are called bottom antireflection coatings (BARCs), or they can be applied at the surface of the resist, in which case they are called top antireflection coatings. The effect of top antireflection coatings on the swing amplitude S of resist materials is fairly well described by Brunner s formula  

The performance metrics used to judge the quality of a given antireflection coating include optical parameters (n and k), plasma etch rate, coating properties (whether highly planarizing or somewhat conformal), reflectivity, thickness, and compatibility with the given resist to which it is paired. 

---

Beganskiene, A., Sakirzanovas, S., Kazadojev, I., Melninkaitis, A., Sirutkaitis, V., and Kareiva, A. (2007) Sol-gel derived antireflective coating with controlled thickness and reflective index. Mater. 

---