Material composition and methods thereof

1. A method, comprising:

providing a substrate;

forming a resist layer over the substrate, wherein the resist layer includes metal-containing nanoparticles, wherein the resist layer includes a multi-metal complex including an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) absorption element and a bridging element, wherein the EUV absorption element includes a first metal type and the bridging element includes a second metal type, and wherein each metal atom of the multi-metal complex is separated from other metal atoms of the multi-metal complex by at least one ligand;

performing an exposure process to the resist layer, wherein responsive to the exposure process, a first ligand of the multi-metal complex is replaced by a second ligand, wherein the first ligand is not configured to participate in a cross-linking reaction, and wherein the second ligand is configured to participate in the cross-linking reaction; and

after performing the exposure process, developing the exposed resist layer to form a patterned resist layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the EUV absorption element includes a plurality of atoms of the first metal type.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bridging element performs at least one of EUV absorption enhancement and activation of cross-linkable groups or reactive sites.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the EUV absorption element and the bridging element serves to generate secondary electrons used for activation of cross-linkable groups or reactive sites.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the EUV absorption element includes at least two antimony atoms, and wherein the bridging element includes a ruthenium atom that bridges the at least two antimony atoms.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein styrene is attached to an antimony atom of the at least two antimony atoms or to the ruthenium atom.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bridging element acts as a bridge between two EUV absorption element atoms, between an EUV absorption element atom and a ligand, and/or between two ligands.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: as a result of performing the exposure process to the resist layer, cross-linking the multi-metal complex to another multi-metal complex.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: after forming the patterned resist layer, performing a fabrication process to the substrate through an opening of the patterned resist layer.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resist layer includes a ruthenium vinylidene complex.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the ruthenium vinylidene complex includes cyclopentadienyl and an Sb(R) 3 ligand.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resist layer is a non-chemically amplified resist (non-CAR) layer.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second ligand includes an activated ligand.

14. A method of semiconductor device fabrication, comprising:

providing a transparent mask substrate, wherein the transparent mask substrate includes quartz;

depositing an absorber layer over the transparent mask substrate, wherein the absorber layer includes a chromium layer;

after depositing the absorber layer, forming a resist layer over the absorber layer, wherein the resist layer includes a ruthenium vinylidene complex, wherein the resist layer includes a multi-metal complex including a first metal type and a second metal type, wherein the first metal type includes an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) absorption element and the second metal type includes a bridging element, and wherein each metal atom of the multi-metal complex is separated from other metal atoms of the multi-metal complex by at least one ligand;

after forming the resist layer, patterning the resist layer using an exposure process and a development process to provide a patterned resist layer having openings that expose the absorber layer, wherein responsive to the exposure process, a first ligand of the multi-metal complex is replaced by a second ligand, wherein the first ligand is not configured to participate in a cross-linking reaction, and wherein the second ligand is configured to participate in the cross-linking reaction;

after forming the patterned resist layer, patterning the absorber layer through the openings in the patterned resist layer to provide a patterned absorber layer on the transparent mask substrate, wherein the patterned absorber layer defines a circuit pattern, and wherein the patterned absorber layer and the transparent mask substrate provide an EUV mask; and

using the EUV mask as part of a photolithography process to pattern a semiconductor substrate, wherein the photolithography process transfers the circuit pattern from the EUV mask to the semiconductor substrate.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the multi-metal complex includes crosslinking groups, and where the crosslinking groups are organic, inorganic, or a blend of organic/inorganic groups.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the multi-metal complex includes one or more chelating ligands of a ligand type including M-OR, M-OOCR, M-OC(═O)OR, M-Cl, M-Br, M-NR3, M-PR3, M-AsR3, M-SbR3, M-CN, M-SR, M-C(═O)R, M-N(R)—C(═O)R, M-CR═CRR, M-R, EDTA, bidentate, tridentate, hexadentate, and/or polydentate.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the circuit pattern includes one or more FinFET device circuit patterns.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the ruthenium vinylidene complex includes cyclopentadienyl and an Sb(R) 3 ligand.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the resist layer includes metal-containing nanoparticles.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second ligand includes an activated ligand.