Quartz crystal microbalance analysis of effects of surfactants on dissolution kinetics of poly(4-hydroxystyrene) partially protected by t-butoxycarbonyl group

Abstract Surfactants comprise water-repellent and water-attracting moieties and have been used to improve the lithographic performance of resist materials. However, the effects of surfactants on the dissolution kinetics of these materials are still unclear. In this study, the effects of surfactants on the dissolution kinetics of partially-protected poly(4-hydroxystyrene) (PHS) in 0.26 N tetramethylammonium hydroxide aqueous solution was investigated using a quartz crystal microbalance method. Anionic (sodium n -octanonate, sodium 1-hexanesulfonate, n -dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid and sodium n -dodecyl sulfate), cationic (methylamine hydrochloride, dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride and 30% ammonium lauryl sulfate solution), nonionic (sorbitan monooleate, polyoxyethylene(23)lauryl ether and polyoxyethylene(10)hydrogenated castor oil) and amphoteric (35% lauryl dimethylaminoacetic acid solution) surfactants were examined. The surfactant significantly affected the dissolution kinetics of the PHS films. The surfactant effects were significantly reduced by protecting the hydroxyl groups of PHS. The effect of the surfactant on the dissolution kinetics depended on the surfactant rather than on the surfactant type.