ArF lithographic patterning issues

In the following sections, these issues are illustrated for the particular device layer where their effect is most acute, using the best performing resists. 

Defects in ArF lithography, as in other optical lithographic technologies, can be categorized into three broad categories, namely, (i) intrinsic defects, (ii) particle defects, and (iii) process (coat, bake, and develop unit operations)-induced defects. While process-induced and intrinsic defects make up the bulk of the 

An experimentally validated analytical model for gate line edge roughness (LER) effects on technology scaling, IEEE Electron Device Lett. 22(6), 287 (2001). 

Tanaka et ah, Mechanism of resist pattern collapse, J. Electrochem. Soc. 140, 115 (1993). 

Adhesion of resist micropatterns during drying after water rinse, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 34, 1093 (1995) U. Okoroanyanwu, C. Pike, and H.J. Levinson, Process induced defects in sub 150 nm device patterning using 193 nm lithography, Proc. SPIE 3998, 277 (2000). 

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