Photoresist pattern trimming compositions and pattern formation methods
Photoresist pattern trimming compositions comprise a polymer, an aromatic sulfonic acid, and an organic-based solvent system, wherein the aromatic sulfonic acid is of general formula (I): wherein: Ar 1 represents an aromatic group; R 1 independently represents a halogen atom, hydroxy, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted carbocyclic aryl, substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic aryl, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy, or a combination thereof, wherein adjacent R 1 groups together optionally form a fused ring structure with Ar 1 ; a represents an integer of 2 or more; and b represents an integer of 1 or more, provided that a+b is at least 3 and is not greater than the total number of available aromatic carbon atoms of Ar 1 , and two or more of R 1 are independently a fluorine atom or a fluoroalkyl group bonded directly to an aromatic ring carbon atom.
1. A photoresist pattern trimming composition, comprising a polymer, an aromatic sulfonic acid, and an organic-based solvent system, wherein the aromatic sulfonic acid is of general formula (I):
wherein: Ar 1 represents a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group; R 1 independently represents a fluorine atom or trifluoromethyl, and wherein an R 1 represents trifluoromethyl; a represents an integer of 2 or more; and b represents an integer of 1 or more, provided that a+b is at least 3 and is not greater than the total number of available aromatic carbon atoms of Ar 1 .
2. The photoresist pattern trimming composition of claim 1 , wherein the aromatic sulfonic acid is of general formula II:
wherein: R 1 independently represents a fluorine atom or trifluoromethyl, and wherein an R 1 represents trifluoromethyl and a represents an integer of from 2 to 5.
3. The photoresist pattern trimming composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises a repeat unit formed from a vinyl aromatic monomer.
4. The photoresist pattern trimming composition of claim 1 , wherein the organic-based solvent comprises a monoether.
5. The photoresist pattern trimming composition of claim 4 , wherein the organic-based solvent further comprises an alcohol and/or an ester.
6. The photoresist pattern trimming composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is free of polymeric acids and polymeric acid generators.
7. The photoresist pattern trimming composition of claim 1 , wherein a first R 1 represents trifluoromethyl and a second R 1 represents a fluorine atom.
8. A pattern formation method, comprising:
(a) providing a semiconductor substrate;
(b) forming a photoresist pattern over the semiconductor substrate, wherein the photoresist pattern is formed from a photoresist composition comprising: a polymer comprising acid labile groups; and a photoacid generator;
(c) coating a pattern trimming composition of claim 1 over the photoresist pattern;
(d) heating the coated photoresist pattern; and
(e) rinsing the coated and heated photoresist pattern with a rinsing agent to remove residual pattern treatment composition.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the rinsing agent is an aqueous tetramethylammonium hydroxide solution.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the photoresist pattern is formed by deep-UV or EUV lithography.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the aromatic sulfonic acid is of general formula II:
wherein: R 1 independently represents a fluorine atom or trifluoromethyl, and wherein an R 1 represents trifluoromethyl; and a represents an integer of from 2 to 5.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the polymer comprises a repeat unit formed from a vinyl aromatic monomer.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the organic-based solvent comprises a monoether.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the organic-based solvent further comprises an alcohol and/or an ester.
15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the composition is free of polymeric acids and polymeric acid generators.
16. The method of claim 8 , wherein a first R 1 represents trifluoromethyl and a second R 1 represents a fluorine atom.