Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

As technology nodes shrink, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photoresists are essential for high-resolution nanopatterning. Incident photons, as well as electrons generated during EUV exposure can cause both intended and unintended chemical reactions. Understanding these processes is critical for improving resist performance. This study investigates how resist components, particularly photoacid generators (PAGs) and photo decomposable quenchers (PDQ), influence photon- and electron-induced chemistry. It also aims to develop a high-throughput characterization method for efficient screening of novel materials. A high-throughput system combining total electron yield (TEY) and residual gas analysis (RGA) was developed. TEY measures electron generation and capture, while RGA monitors chemical transformations via outgassing. The method is applied to model resists. TEY and outgassing analysis revealed that PAGs and PDQs strongly influence electron behavior and outgassing characteristics. The high-throughput system enabled the rapid screening of up to 50 samples, providing detailed insights into resist chemistry and performance. The developed technique offers a powerful tool for understanding photon and electron interactions with model resists and accelerating the discovery of next-generation EUV photoresists.