IP Library Granted Patent US 12675045
Granted Patent B2
US 12675045 · App. 18/090,145 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Polymer, photoresist compositions including the same, and pattern formation methods

Inventors: Emad Aqad (Northborough, MA); Li Cui (Westborough, MA); Yinjie Cen (Shrewsbury, MA); Wenxu Zhang (Natick, MA); Mingqi Li (Shrewsbury, MA); James F. Cameron (Brookline, MA)
Assignee: DUPONT ELECTRONIC MATERIALS INTERNATIONAL, LLC
G03F7/039C08F212/24C08F220/1808C08F220/1809G03F7/038
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12675045
App. No.
18/090,145
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A polymer, including a first repeating unit comprising a sulfone group, wherein the sulfone group is directly bonded to a group of formula —C(R a )(R b )—; and a second repeating unit comprising an acid labile group, a base-decomposable group, a polar group, or a combination thereof, wherein R a and R b are each independently hydrogen, halogen, substituted or unsubstituted C 1-30 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heterocycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-30 alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 cycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heterocycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 6-30 aryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 7-30 arylalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 7-30 alkylaryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-30 heteroaryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heteroarylalkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 alkylheteroaryl, provided that at least one of R a and R b is hydrogen.

Claims (52)

1 . A polymer, comprising:

a first repeating unit comprising a sulfone group, wherein the sulfone group is directly bonded to a group of formula —C(R a )(R b )—; and

a second repeating unit comprising an acid labile group chosen from tertiary alkyl ester groups, secondary or tertiary aryl ester groups, secondary or tertiary ester groups having a combination of alkyl and aryl groups, tertiary alkoxy groups, acetal groups, ketal groups, tertiary carbonate groups, and tertiary carbamate groups, a base-decomposable group, a hydroxy aryl, or a combination thereof,

wherein R a and R b are each independently hydrogen, halogen, substituted or unsubstituted C 1-30 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heterocycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-30 alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 cycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heterocycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 6-30 aryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 7-30 arylalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 7-30 alkylaryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-30 heteroaryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heteroarylalkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 alkylheteroaryl,

provided that at least one of R a and R b is hydrogen,

wherein the first repeating unit is derived from a first monomer represented by Formula (1):

wherein, in Formula (1),

X a is a polymerizable group comprising an ethylenically unsaturated carbon-carbon double bond;

L 1 is a single bond or a linking group;

each L 2 is independently a single bond, substituted or unsubstituted C 1-30 alkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 cycloalkyl; wherein at least one of L 1 or L 2 is not a single bond,

each R 1 is independently substituted or unsubstituted C 1-30 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heterocycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-30 alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 cycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heterocycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 6-30 aryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 7-30 arylalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 7-30 alkylaryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-30 heteroaryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heteroarylalkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 alkylheteroaryl;

provided that at least one L 2 or at least one R 1 comprises the group of formula —C(R a )(R b )— that is directly bonded to —S(═O) 2 —; and

n is an integer from 1 to 5.

2 . The polymer of claim 1 , wherein the at least one L 2 comprises the group of formula —C(R a )(R b )— that is directly bonded to —S(═O) 2 —.

3 . The polymer of claim 1 , wherein the at least one R 1 comprises the group of formula —C(R a )(R b )— that is directly bonded to —S(═O) 2 —.

4 . The polymer of claim 1 , wherein the first repeating unit is derived from a first monomer represented by Formulae (2) or (3):

wherein, in Formulae (2) and (3),

X b and X c are each independently a polymerizable group comprising an ethylenically unsaturated carbon-carbon double bond;

L 3 and L 4 are each independently a single bond or a divalent linking group;

R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are each independently substituted or unsubstituted C 1-30 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heterocycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-30 alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 cycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heterocycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 6-30 aryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 7-30 arylalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 7-30 alkylaryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-30 heteroaryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heteroarylalkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 alkylheteroaryl.

5 . The polymer of claim 1 , wherein the first monomer comprises a (meth)acryloyl group or a vinyl aromatic group.

6 . The polymer of claim 1 , wherein the second repeating unit comprises the acid labile group.

7 . A photoresist composition, comprising:

a first polymer, comprising:

a first repeating unit comprising a sulfone group, wherein the sulfone group is directly bonded to a group of formula —C(R a )(R b )—;

wherein R a and R b are each independently hydrogen, halogen, substituted or unsubstituted C 1-30 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heterocycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-30 alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 cycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heterocycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 6-30 aryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 7-30 arylalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 7-30 alkylaryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-30 heteroaryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heteroarylalkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 alkylheteroaryl;

provided that at least one of R a and R b is hydrogen; and

a solvent,

wherein the first repeating unit is derived from a first monomer represented by Formula (1):

wherein, in Formula (1),

X a is a polymerizable group comprising an ethylenically unsaturated carbon-carbon double bond;

L 1 is a single bond or a linking group;

each L 2 is independently a single bond, substituted or unsubstituted C 1-30 alkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 cycloalkyl; wherein at least one of L 1 or L 2 is not a single bond,

each R 1 is independently substituted or unsubstituted C 1-30 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heterocycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-30 alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 cycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heterocycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 6-30 aryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 7-30 arylalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 7-30 alkylaryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-30 heteroaryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heteroarylalkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 alkylheteroaryl;

provided that at least one L 2 or at least one R 1 comprises the group of formula —C(R a )(R b )— that is directly bonded to —S(═O) 2 —; and

n is an integer from 1 to 5.

8 . The photoresist composition of claim 7 , wherein the polymer further comprises a second repeating unit, and wherein the second repeating unit comprises an acid labile group, a base-decomposable group, a polar group, or a combination thereof.

9 . The photoresist composition of claim 8 , wherein the second repeating unit comprises the acid labile group.

10 . The photoresist composition of claim 7 , further comprising a photoacid generator.

11 . The photoresist composition of claim 7 , further comprising a second polymer that is structurally different than the first polymer.

12 . The photoresist composition of claim 11 , wherein one or both of the first polymer and the second polymer comprise a repeating unit comprising an acid labile group, a base-decomposable group, a polar group, or a combination thereof.

13 . A method of forming a pattern, the method comprising:

applying a layer of a photoresist composition of claim 7 on a substrate to form a photoresist composition layer;

pattern-wise exposing the photoresist composition layer with activating radiation to form an exposed photoresist composition layer; and

developing the exposed photoresist composition layer.

14 . The photoresist composition of claim 7 , wherein the at least one L 2 comprises the group of formula —C(R a )(R b )— that is directly bonded to —S(═O) 2 —.

15 . The photoresist composition of claim 7 , wherein the at least one R 1 comprises the group of formula —C(R a )(R b )— that is directly bonded to —S(═O) 2 —.

16 . The photoresist composition of claim 7 , wherein the first repeating unit is derived from a first monomer represented by Formulae (2) or (3):

wherein, in Formulae (2) and (3),

X b and X c are each independently a polymerizable group comprising an ethylenically unsaturated carbon-carbon double bond;

L 3 and L 4 are each independently a single bond or a divalent linking group;

R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are each independently substituted or unsubstituted C 1-30 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heterocycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-30 alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 cycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heterocycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 6-30 aryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 7-30 arylalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 7-30 alkylaryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 2-30 heteroaryl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 heteroarylalkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted C 3-30 alkylheteroaryl.