EP0425142A2
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EP
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Positive acting photoresist and method of producing same
Assignee: Rohm and Haas Co
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Filing: 1990-10-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-10-11
Abstract
Abstract A positive-acting photoresist composition which produces crosslinked images and processes for using the photoresist composition are disclosed. The photoresist composition is prepared from a mixture containing a film-forming, polymer-containing, acid-hardening resin system, an acid or acid-generating material for crosslinking the acid-hardening resin system, and a photobase generating compound. The photoresist composition is applied to a substrate surface and selectively imagewise exposed through a photomask to actinic radiation. The actinic radiation causes the photobase generator to produce a base in the imagewise exposed portions of the photoresist film. The photochemically generated base neutralises the acid in the imagewise exposed areas of the photoresist film. The non-imagewise exposed portions of the photoresist film, not containing the photochemically generated base, are crosslinked by the catalytic action of the acid upon heating the film, and the imagewise exposed portions of the photoresist film are removed from the substrate by the action of a developer solution leaving a crosslinked positive image on the substrate.
Inventors
- 👤 Mark Robert Winkle
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 00:27
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/004; G03F7/0045; G03F7/039; G03F7/16; G03F7/164
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
45 words
1) A positive-acting photoresist composition capable of producing crosslinked images, which comprises a mixture of: a) film-forming, acid-hardening resin system comprising at least one film-forming polymer and, optionally, at least one crosslinker compound; b) acid or acid-generating material; c) photobase-generating compound; and d) optionally, photosensitizer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
45 words
1) A positive-acting photoresist composition capable of producing crosslinked images, which comprises a mixture of: a) film-forming, acid-hardening resin system comprising at least one film-forming polymer and, optionally, at least one crosslinker compound; b) acid or acid-generating material; c) photobase-generating compound; and d) optionally, photosensitizer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
66 words
2) A composition as claimed in Claim 1, which comprises from about 5 to about 80 weight percent crosslinker, from about 0.4 to about 20 weight percent photobase generator, from about 0.04 to about 5 weight percent acid or acid-generating compound, and from 0 to about 10 weight percent of photosensitizer, said weight percents based on the weight of said polymer in said acid-hardening resin system.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
69 words
3) A composition as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein: i) said film-forming polymer is selected from novolaks, polyvinylphenol, polyglutarimides, poly(meth)acrylic acid, poly(meth)acrylamide, polyvinyl alcohols, styrenic polymers, and mixtures thereof; and/or ii) said crosslinker is selected from urea-formaldehyde, melamine-formaldehyde, benzoguanamine-formaldehyde, glycoluril-formaldehyde resins, and combinations thereof; and/or iii) said photobase-generating compound is selected from carbamates, benzyl carbamates, benzoin carbamates, O- carbamoylhydroxyl-amines, O-carbomyloximes, aromatic sulfonamides, alpha-lactones, N-(2-arylethyenyl)amides, and azides.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
4) A composition as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein said film-forming polymer, or at least one of said film-forming polymers, contains pendant carrier groups.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
5) A composition as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein said film-forming, acid-hardening resin system comprises at least one film-forming polymer having a weight average molecular weight in the range of from about 3,000 to about 200,000.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
6) A composition as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein said acid or acid-generating compound is: a) a thermal acid generator, for example an ammonium salt of a strong acid formed from a volatile amine; or b) a photoacid generating compound, for example a neutral compound which generates a strong acid upon exposure to actinic radiation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
47 words
7) A composition as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said acid or acid-generating compound is: i) a thermal acid generator selected from benzoin tosylate, 2-nitrobenzyl tosylate, and alkyl esters of organic sulfonic acids; or ii) a photoacid generating compound selected from benzoin tosylate and tris (2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
8) A composition as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 5, wherein said acid or acid-generating compound is a strong acid containing a hydrophobic portion, for example dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
131 words
9) A method for producing positive crosslinked images on a substrate surface, which comprises: a) depositing on said substrate surface a photoresist film from a photoresist composition as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 8; b) imagewise exposing one or more portions of said film to a source of actinic radiation, said imagewise radiating being selected to generate a base from said photobase-generating compound in the exposed portion(s) of said film; c) i) when said photoresist composition comprises acid, heating said film to crosslink the portion(s) not containing said photogenerated base, or ii) when said photoresist composition comprises acid-generating material, generating acid from said acid-generating material, and heating said film to crosslink the portion(s) not containing said photogenerated base; and d) removing said exposed portion(s) using a suitable developing solution.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
106 words
10) A method as claimed in Claim 9, wherein said photoresist composition comprises acid-generating material and wherein: a) when said acid-generating material is a photoacid-generating compound, said acid-generating step, in step c) ii), comprises a second exposing step wherein said photoresist film is exposed to a radiation different from that used in said imagewise exposing step b) such that said second exposing step does not interfere with the crosslinking step; or b) when said acid-generating material is a thermal acid-generating compound, said step c) ii) comprises heating said photoresist film to generate said acid in said film and crosslink said portion(s) not containing said photogenerated base.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
162 words
11) A method for producing positive crosslinked images on a substrate surface, which comprises: i) depositing on said substrate surface a photoresist film from a photoresist composition as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 7, and in which composition said acid or acid-generating material is a photoacid generating compound; ii) A first exposing step wherein said photoresist film is exposed to a radiation to generate acid from said photoacid-generating compound; iii) imagewise exposing one or more portions of said film to a source of actinic radiation, said imagewise radiating being selected to generate a base from said photobase generating compound in said exposed portion(s) of said film; iv) heating said film to crosslink the portion(s) not containing said photogenerated base; and v) removing said exposed portion(s) using a suitable developing solution; and wherein the radiation used in step ii) is different from that used in step iii) such that said exposing step ii) does not interfere with the crosslinking step iv).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
12) A method as claimed in any of Claims 9 to 11, wherein said photoresist film is deposited on said substrate surface by electrodeposition.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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