STUDY OF MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROPERTIES OF A SILICON RESIN CONTAINING POLY-(P-TRIMETHYLSILOXYSTYRENE) MIXED WITH (C6H5)3SASF6

The study of a photoresist containing poly(p-trimethylsiloxystyrene) (1, poly[1-(4-trimethylsiloxyphenyl)ethylene] mixed with (C6H5)3SAsF6, which could be employed in a bilevel pattern-transfer process, is reported. The onium salt undergoes efficient photolysis under UV radiation, to generate strong acids, responsible of the cleavage of the silicon-containing side groups. The first results obtained show that this kind of resist could be used in microlithography, because it displays a very good sensitivity to deep UV and an excellent resistance to oxygen plasma. The syntheses of the compounds and substances used in this work are described.