Short-wavelength imaging

Methacrylate-styryl terpolymers, (Vll), and perfluoronorbomene copolymers prepared by Taylor [5] were used in photoresist compositions and were effective at 157 nm and used in short wavelength imaging. 

To date, we have exercised these materials in basically three types of multilayer lithographic applications (1) as short wavelength contrast enhancing layers, (2) as imagable 02-RIE resistant materials in bilayer processes and (3) as radiation sensitive materials for multilayer, e-beam processes. 

After consideration of all factors which limit resolution such as exposure hardware, resist systems, registration, alignment, and linewidth control, there is a general consensus that the useful resolution limit of photolithography may lie somewhere between 0.4 and 0.8 /im and depends on such factors as the implementation of short wavelength UV and the ability to accurately place images from a projection tool onto a silicon wafer. 

As far as the sheet image scanner is concerned, another remaining issue is spatial resolution, which is currently 36 dpi. To improve the resolution we must reduce the size of both organic transistors and organic photo detectors. Reduction of device dimensions is not very difficult, but the bottleneck is the size of via interconnections. To reduce the diameter of via holes, we are currently working very hard to replace a CO2 laser with other short wavelength lasers, for example excimer lasers and/or YAG lasers. We believe that 600 dpi would be feasible in the near future. 

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