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Product Briefing Outline: Brewer Science has introduced an ArF 193nm anti-reflective coating, the ‘ARC 160,' that is designed to enable faster etch and significantly reduce out-gassing during the bake process step. According to Brewer, the new ARC is usable in a wide range of applications such as pre-metal dielectric, hardmask and shallow trench isolation.

Problem: The latest processing bake systems are more susceptible to out-gassing of lithography materials that can cause contamination issues for future process steps. Less out-gassing tendencies of materials reduce the need for unscheduled shutdowns to clean residue from a coat/bake module, while improving overall throughput of the tool.

Solution: ‘ARC 160' has been specifically designed to produce extremely low amounts of sublimates during the baking process, which is a common feature of traditional spin-on materials (Reduced Sublimation Capability was determined by proprietary Brewer Science testing methodologies). Careful evaluation of the out-gassing enabled the company to modify standard ARC properties that significantly reduced out-gassing during the bake process step. An added benefit is the fast etch rate achieved, the company claims.

Applications: Broad compatibility with 193nm photoresist.

Platform: 'ARC 160' combines fast etch with extremely low out-gassing during bake and good via fill properties. 2nd minimum reflectivity at 82nm on Si. Broad compatibility with 193nm photoresist. High etch selectivity vs. 193nm photoresist. The solvent system is PGME/PGMEA. It is compatible with typical solvents used in production.  Bake temp. range 175 - 220°C. Flash point: 90°F (32°C). Shelf life: Stable for 6 months @ 21°C.

Availability: February 2007 onwards.