Resistance, plasma etch, research

One important area of resist research in recent years is the development of plasma-developable resist systems. The aim of plasma developable resists is to use nonsolvent, all dry development methods to avoid the problems of swelling and consequent resolution limitation associated with conventional resists. Much of the semiconductor fabrication process now utilizes plasma techniques as they are capable of providing high resolution images. An important consideration in this is that the plasma-developable resist images should stand up well to the plasma etching treatments. 

In the high-tech microelectronics area, many opportunities exist for developing new or improved polymers for dielectrics, plasma etch resistance barriers, lithographic resists, insulators/connectors, liquid crystal systems, etc, where, simultaneously, adhesion to various surfaces, water permeability, temperature stability and other properties must not be limiting. Polymers for biomedical, separations, and composites likewise, provide great opportunity for synthetic advances. There is no doubt in our mind, an enormous amount of innovation can continue to flow out of polymer synthesis research. 

O2 RIE Resistance A polymer sample for the O2 RDE experiment was prepared in a similar way as stated above, viz, the film was exposed to an EB dose of 10 pC/cm at 100 pA, 20 kV followed by development in 4 °C water for 2 minutes. The plasma etching experiment was carried out in an oxygen atmosphere in a Model BP-1, from the Samco International Research Corporation. The radio frequency (RQ power and gas pressure were 100 W and 0.5 Torr, respectively. The etching time was varied from 5 to 60 minutes. The temperature of the substrate was maintained by heating the sample-plate at 40 °C during the etching. The thickness of the film was... 

---