Implementation of high-chi block copolymer materials for rectification of EUV patterns

Directed self-assembly (DSA) has emerged as a promising complementary technique for enhancing the resolution and pattern fidelity of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. As the semiconductor industry pushes toward ever-smaller feature sizes, EUV lithography faces fundamental challenges related to the trade-off between photon dose on the one hand, and stochastic defects and line-edge roughness (LER) on the other hand. DSA leverages the thermodynamically driven self-organization of block copolymers (BCPs) to rectify and smooth EUV-generated patterns, offering a promising solution to these limitations. By guiding the self-assembly process with pre-patterned templates, DSA can improve critical dimension uniformity and defect tolerance, ultimately enabling more reliable and precise nanopatterning. In this project, you will explore how diblock copolymers with higher chi interaction parameter can enhance the performance and scalability over traditional polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) materials. Using imec’s state-of-the-art lithography and metrology tools, you will get hands-on experience in a world-class R&D environment.