Actinic (deep ultraviolet, ultraviolet and visible) light sensitive positive photoresist compositions containing a mixture of an alkali-insoluble photoactive compound capable of being transformed into an alkali-soluble species upon exposure to actinic radiation, in an amount sufficient to render the mixture relatively alkali insoluble and a polymer comprising an amount of --CO--NH--CO-- groups, such as maleimide and especially maleimide-substituted styrene copolymers, sufficient to render the mixture readily alkali soluble upon exposure to actinic radiation are disclosed. The preferred copolymers include maleimide/styrene or .alpha.-methylstyrene in a 1:1 molar ratio. The preferred photoactive compound suitable for a positive photoresist composition responsive to deep UV actinic radiation has the formula 18-B in Table I. The present invention also contemplates photosensitive elements and thermally stable photochemically imaged systems based on the actinic light sensitive positive photoresist compositions. The positive photoresist compositions are coated onto a substrate to produce a photosensitive element, which upon exposure to a pattern of actinic radiation of wavelength in the range of about 200-700 nm produces a photochemically imaged system that can be treated with an alkaline developer to form highly resolved patterns, by highly selective removal of exposed areas. After development, preferred embodiments of the photochemically images systems exhibit insignificant changes in the highly resolved features (one micron) in the patterned image upon postbaking at temperatures of about 230.degree. C. and is, thereafter readily stripped. The high thermal stability exhibited by the photochemically imaged systems formed from the positive photoresist compositions of the present invention allows faster processing at higher temperatures, on equipment like plasma etchers and ion implanters; the developed photochemically imaged systems of the present invention retain high resolution, i.e., retain sharp, steep patterned image profiles.
本发明涉及一种深紫外线、紫外线和可见光敏感的阳性光刻胶组合物,其含有一种碱不溶性光活性化合物的混合物,该光活性化合物在暴露于光刻胶中的紫外线后能够转化为碱可溶性物质,其含量足以使混合物相对碱不溶性,并且包括一种聚合物,该聚合物包含足够量的--CO--NH--CO--基团,例如马来
酰亚胺和尤其是马来
酰亚胺取代的
苯乙烯共聚物,使混合物在暴露于光刻胶中的紫外线后易于溶于碱性物质。优选的共聚物包括马来
酰亚胺/
苯乙烯或α-
甲基苯乙烯的1:1摩尔比。适用于对深紫外线敏感的阳性光刻胶组合物的优选光活性化合物具有表I中的18-B式。本发明还涉及基于该光刻胶组合物的光敏元件和热稳定的光
化学成像系统。将阳性光刻胶组合物涂覆在基板上,产生光敏元件,该元件在暴露于波长在约200-700 nm范围内的光刻胶图案后产生光
化学成像系统,可以用碱性显影剂处理,通过高度选择性地去除暴露区域形成高度分辨率的图案。在显影后,本发明的光
化学成像系统的优选实施例在230℃的后烘烤时高度分辨率特征(一微米)在图案图像中几乎不发生变化,之后容易剥离。由本发明的阳性光刻胶组合物形成的光
化学成像系统表现出的高热稳定性允许在更高的温度下进行更快速的处理,例如在等离子体刻蚀机和离子注入器等设备上;本发明的开发光
化学成像系统保持高分辨率,即保持尖锐、陡峭的图案图像轮廓。