A chemically strengthened resist useful for semiconductor microchips comprises a film forming polymer

摘要

A chemically strengthened resist comprises a film forming polymer, a photoacid and a solvent. The polymer comprises acid labile groups, free groups to make the polymer more soluble in aqueous alkalis, and primary polymer structural units derived from primary monomers, substituted by fluorine(s) and an anchor group for binding a strengthening agent, which optionally comprises a protecting group. An Independent claim is included for post-strengthening of resist structures comprising the steps: (1) application of the resist to a substrate; (2) drying of the resist; (3) exposure of the dried resist to give a resist having a latent image; (4) heating of the exposed resist to a first temperature at which the latent image is converted to a chemical profile and polymer polar groups are released; (5) development of the resist with an aqueous alkaline developer, where the chemical profile region which contains the polymer polar groups is dissolved from the substrate, and a structured resist is obtained; (6) optionally freeing of the anchor groups from the protected anchor groups; (7) application of a strengthening agent to the structured resist; and (8) washing off excess strengthening agent.