Introduction :
To do a smart choice of photoresist (PR), first answer the following questions:
- What are the layout critical dimensions (CD), i.e. minimum pattern size ?
- If the next step is substractive (etching), what is the etching chemistry and what is the etching selectivity with the PR ?
- If the next step is additive (lift-off), what is the thickness of the material to be deposited and which equipment is used ?
- Do you have any existing topography on the wafer ?
Then, find a suitable photoresist from the list of i-line resists (to expose on CMi’s mask-aligners and laser writers) or DUV resists (to expose on CMi’s DUV stepper).
Positive i-line (λ = 365nm) resists :
- Helpful information
- AZ 1512 HS is a thin photoresist designed for fast and reproducible photolithography, with high contrast and high development rate as well as improved substrate adhesion. It is the standard resist choice for photolithography steps with no strict requirements in terms of resolution, sidewall profile or thickness.
Coating Tools :
EVG 150; Sawatec SM-200
Thickness range [µm]:
1.1 … 2.5
Recommended Exposure Tools:
MA6; MLA150
Minimum CD / typical aspect ratio:
~ 1.5um / AR ~ 1:1
Substrate topography:
Planar or very low - CMi process details
- More about AZ 1512 HS
- Datasheet
- AZ 1512 HS
- Manufacturer
- Merck
- Helpful information
- AZ ECI 3007 is a thin (0.6 to 1.5 um) chemically amplified i-line photoresist designed for high resolution photolithography and accurate pattern transfer. It is the standard resist choice to reach critical dimensions (CD) < 1um with mask-aligners in vaccum contact mode or the VPG200 laser writer.
Coating Tools :
ACS 200; Sawatec SM-200
Recommended Exposure Tools:
MA6 Gen3; VPG200
Thickness range [µm]:
0.6 … 1.5
Minimum CD / typical aspect ratio:
~ 600nm / AR ~ 1:1
Substrate topography:
Planar or very low - CMi process details
- More about AZ ECI 3007
- Datasheet
- AZ ECI 3007
- Manufacturer
- Merck
- Helpful information
- AZ ECI 3027 is a chemically amplified i-line photoresist from the AZ ECI family. With an intermediate thickness range (2 to 5 um), it is a good resist choice for dry-etching applications with moderate etching depth but requiring accurate control of the pattern dimensions.
Coating Tools :
ACS200; Sawatec SM-200
Recommended Exposure Tools:
MA6 Gen3; VPG200
Thickness range [µm]:
2 … 5
Minimum CD / typical aspect ratio:
~ 1um / AR ~ 2:1
Substrate topography:
Medium - CMi process details
- More about AZ ECI 3027
- Datasheet
- AZ ECI 3027
- Manufacturer
- Merck
- Helpful information
- AZ 10XT-07 is a thin diluted photoresist from the AZ 10XT family (which replaces the old AZ9200 line of products). Due to its optimal thermal reflow properties, it is specially and specifically recommended for ion beam etching (IBE) to prevent fencing.
Coating Tools :
ACS 200; Sawatec SM-200
Recommended Exposure Tools:
MA6; MLA150
Thickness range [µm]:
0.7 … 1.9
Minimum CD / typical aspect ratio:
~ 2um / AR ~ 2:1
Substrate topography:
Medium - CMi process details
- More about AZ 10XT-07
- Datasheet
- AZ 10XT-07
- Manufacturer
- Merck
- Helpful information
- AZ 10XT-20 is a photoresist from the AZ 10XT family (which replaces the old AZ9200 line of products) with a thickness range from 2um to 4um. It is the standard resist choice for dry etching applications requiring steep sidewalls. Transfer of critical dimensions from the mask/design is not accurate and will require the introduction of CD biases (~800nm).
Coating Tools :
ACS200; Sawatec SM-200
Recommended Exposure Tools:
MA6; MLA150
Thickness range [µm]:
2 … 4
Minimum CD / typical aspect ratio:
~ 2um / AR ~ 2:1
Substrate topography:
Medium - CMi process details
- More about AZ 10XT-20
- Datasheet
- AZ 10XT-20
- Manufacturer
- Merck
- Helpful information
- AZ 10XT-60 is a thick photoresist from the AZ 10XT family (which replaces the old AZ9200 line of products). With steep sidewalls and high aspect ratio, it is the ideal resist choice for deep etching of silicon (Bosch process). Transfer of critical dimensions from the mask/design is not accurate and will require the introduction of CD biases (~800nm).
Coating Tools :
EVG 150; Sawatec SM-200
Recommended Exposure Tools:
MA6; MLA150
Thickness range [µm]:
5.5 … 20
Minimum CD / typical aspect ratio:
~ 3um / AR ~ 4:1
Substrate topography:
High - CMi process details
- More about AZ 10XT-60
- Datasheet
- AZ 10XT-60
- Manufacturer
- Merck
- Helpful information
- AZ 40XT is a chemically amplified ultrathick positive photoresist, requiring low exposure doses and with high development rate. The field of applications of the resist starts at 15-30 µm, where photolithography processes with conventional positive resists become very time-consuming due to increasing delays for rehydratation or N2-outgassing, both not required for this resist. This resist is recommended for deep etching in harsh environnment.
Coating Tools :
ACS 200; Sawatec SM-200
Recommended Exposure Tools:
MA6 Gen3; MLA150 (375nm)
Thickness range [µm]:
10 … 40
Minimum CD / typical aspect ratio:
~ 3um / AR ~ 4:1
Substrate topography:
High - CMi process details
- More about AZ 40XT
- Datasheet
- AZ 40XT
- Manufacturer
- Merck
Lift-off / negative i-line (λ = 365nm) resists:
- Helpful information
- LOR (Lift-Off Resist) 5A is a polymer which dissolve in alkaline solutions. LOR 5A, used as sacrificial material, can be underetched with standard photoresist developers (TMAH- or KOH-based) just by extending the development time of the imaging top resist. This method is known as the double layer lift-off or bi-layer lift-off. Extreme resist profile can be obtained, enabling efficient lift-off of evaporated or even sputtered material.
Coating Tools :
EVG 150; Sawatec SM-200
Recommended Exposure Tools:
MA6; MLA150
Thickness range [µm]:
0.4 … 1
Minimum CD
~ 2um
Substrate topography:
Planar or very low - CMi process details
- More about LOR 5A
- Datasheet
- LOR 5A
- Manufacturer
- Kayaku Advanced Material
- Helpful information
- AZ nLOF 2020 is a negative photoresist, whereby the exposed resist remains after development with an adjustable undercut. The negative profile in combination with its high softening point makes AZ nLOF 2020 a well-suited resist for lift-off aswell as for any other processes requiring resist structures with high to very high thermal stability.
Coating Tools :
ACS 200; Sawatec SM-200
Recommended Exposure Tools:
MA6 Gen3; MLA150 (375nm)
Thickness range [µm]:
1.4 … 3
Minimum CD
~ 1.5um
Substrate topography:
Medium - CMi process details
- More about AZ nLOF 2020
- Datasheet
- AZ nLOF 2020
- Manufacturer
- Merck
- Helpful information
- AZ 15 nXT is a cross-linking negative resist for resist film thicknesses up to approximatively 30 µm. The high stability and superior adhesion make the AZ 15 nXT well suited for most deep etching and electroplating applications. The resist sidewalls are very steep.
Coating Tools :
ACS 200; Sawatec SM-200
Recommended Exposure Tools:
MA6 Gen3; MLA150 (375nm)
Thickness range [µm]:
6 … 12
Minimum CD
~ 4um
Substrate topography:
High - CMi process details
- More about AZ 15nXT
- Datasheet
- AZ 15nXT
- Manufacturer
- Merck
DUV (λ = 248nm) resists :
- Helpful information
- M108Y (8cP) is a multipurpose thin DUV resist compatible with the ASML PAS5500/350C platform. It is designed for 0.15 µm technology. This high-resolution resist is associated with a bottom anti-reflection coating (DUV 42P BARC) for improved imaging performances. With optimized dose and focus parameters, line & space (L&S) patterns down to 120 nm and iso patterns < 110nm have been demonstrated on DUV exposure equipment.
Coating Tools :
TEL ACT-8
Recommended Exposure Tools:
ASML PAS 5500/350C
Thickness range [µm]:
0.25 … 0.6
Minimum CD / typical aspect ratio:
~ 0.15um / AR ~ 3:1
Substrate topography:
Planar - CMi process details
- More about M108Y
- Datasheet
- M108Y
- Manufacturer
- JSR Micro NV
- Helpful information
- M35G (27cP) is a thick DUV resist, designed for 0.25 µm technology. This resist can be used with or without bottom anti-reflection coating (BARC). With optimized dose and focus parameters, line & space (L&S) patterns down to 180 nm and iso patterns < 170nm have been demonstrated on DUV exposure equipment.
Coating Tools :
TEL ACT-8
Recommended Exposure Tools:
ASML PAS 5500/350C
Thickness range [µm]:
0.8 … 1.7
Minimum CD / typical aspect ratio:
~ 0.25um / AR ~ 4:1
Substrate topography:
Low - CMi process details
- More about M35G
- Datasheet
- M35G
- Helpful information
- DUV 42P (6cP) is a thin (~65nm), conformal bottom anti-reflection coating (BARC) that helps reducing standing waves in the exposed DUV resist in order to improve resolution and resist profiles. The film has high absorption at the exposure wavelength (λ = 248nm) to prevent any backside reflections. After the photoresist development step, DUV 42P is etched down with conventional plasma chemistries.
Coating Tools :
TEL ACT-8
Recommended Exposure Tools:
NA
Thickness range [µm]:
~65nm
Substrate topography:
Planar or low - Datasheet
- DUV 42P
- Manufacturer
- Brewer Science
Structural resists :
- Helpful information
- SU-8 photoresist is based on an epoxy resist developed by IBM. SU-8 is a thick (single coating up to 300um), near-UV photoresist (i-line), specifically used for applications requiring high aspect ratios with vertical sidewall profiles. SU-8, after exposure and cross-linking, is resistant to wet chemistry (solvent or base) and cannot be stripped.
Coating Tools :
Sawatec LSM250
Recommended Exposure Tools:
MJB4, MLA150
Thickness range [µm]:
0.8 … 250 (several grades)
Minimum CD / typical aspect ratio:
~ 1um / AR up to 8:1
Substrate topography:
Any - CMi process details
- More about SU-8
- Datasheet
- Please visit CMi Restricted Area
- Manufacturers
- Gersteltec
Kayaku Advanced Materials
- Helpful information
- The ORDYL dry film is a negative tone i-line photoresists, rolled over the substrate by hot laminators, and offering high resistance to plating baths and acid etching processes. After exposure it is developed and stripped in alkaline solutions. Although it does not reach the printing resolution of spin-coated photoresists, it offer an interesting alternative for substrate with extremely high topography. CMi offers access to ORDYL 920 and 940 grades from ELGA Europe but dry films from other companies can also be used in CMi.
Coating Tools :
Dry film laminators
Recommended Exposure Tools:
MJB4
Thickness range [µm]:
20 or 40 (other grades available)
Minimum CD / typical aspect ratio:
~ 20um / AR ~1:1
Substrate topography:
Any - Description
- More about Ordyl Alpha 920 & Alpha 940
- Datasheet
- Please visit CMi Restricted Area
- Manufacturer
- ELGA Europe
Non-photosensitive resists :
- Helpful information
- Polyimide PI 2610 and PI 2611 are rigid polymers with desirable film properties such as low stress, low thermal expansion (CTE matching silicon) , low moisture uptake, good ductility. It is ideally suited as a dielectric layer for most semiconductor applications requiring thick films or stacked layers of metallization. Patterning is typically done by dry etch or laser ablation techniques.
Coating Tools :
Sawatec LSM200
Recommended Exposure Tools:
NA
Thickness range [µm]:
1 … 10 (several grades)
Substrate topography:
Any - CMi process details
- More about PI-2610 & PI-2611
- Datasheet
- Please visit CMi Restricted Area
- Manufacturer
- Hitachi DuPont Microsystems
- Helpful information
- AZ P4K-AP is used for wafer surface protection during physical or chemical related processes. It has the same base polymer than common i-line photoresist but without the photosensitive component, therefore it cannot be patterned through exposition.
Coating Tools :
Sawatec SM-200
Recommended Exposure Tools:
NA
Thickness range [µm]:
4 – 10 um
Substrate topography:
Any - CMi process details
- More about AZ P4K-AP
- Datasheet
- Please visit CMi Restricted Area
- Manufacturer
- Merck