A Novel Method for the Deposition of Ultra-Uniform Resist Film for Mask Making

A new method of smooth ultra-thin polymeric films for mask making is presented here. Nanometrix applications development with Ultra Thin Polymer Films (UTPF) production process addresses several problems related to photomask fabrication. The continuous coating process, named Schneider-Picard (SP), was invented for a maximum production rate while keeping an outstanding film quality at nanoscale thinness. Therefore, this coating method offers for the first time a real alternative for the lithography and mask making production. Our present developments on UTPF coatings give substantial new solutions for improved, faster and less expensive mask production. Materials, writing and quality control costs could be strongly reduced with Nanometrix UTPF technology. Results from two resists are presented in this paper. E-Beam direct writing on 8nm PMMA and photolithography on 30nm UV-1400 DUV resist are presented. Substrates were all coated with uniform ultra-thin films at a rate of one square meter per minute, with atomic smoothness. This technological breakthrough enables a valuable solution for mask fabrication at the nano scale and provides resist uniformity required for current and future critical dimension specifications.