Photochemical conversion of organotin molecular EUV resists: a first principles study

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is being introduced in the semiconductor industry in high-volume manufacturing processes to increase device density, leading to the subsequent scaling down of critical dimensions, reaching the order of a few nanometers. Currently, hybrid organic/inorganic materials are considered as the most promising candidates for the next generation of photoresists for this technology. Using first principles density functional theory (DFT) simulations, in this presentation we study the structural evolution of tin-oxo cages, as an archetypal EUV resist, upon interaction with EUV radiation.The results presented here represent a systematic approach to study and quantify the performance of new photoresist materials, enabling the future development of EUV lithography technologies.