Positive acting photoresist comprising a photoacid, a photobase and a film forming acid-hardening resin system

• Main Author: WINKLE; MARK ROBERT
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 22.07.1997
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES,e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTORDEVICES; PHYSICS

A positive-acting photoresist composition which produces crosslinked images and processes for using the photoresist composition are disclosed. The photoresist composition is prepared from a mixture containing a film forming, polymer-containing, acid hardening resin system, an acid or acid generating material (preferably in the form of a thermal acid generator) for crosslinking the acid hardening resin system, and a photobase generating compound. The photoresist composition is applied as a film onto a substrate surface and selectively imagewise exposed through a photomask to actinic radiation. The actinic radiation causes the photobase generator to produce a base in the imagewise exposed portions of the photoresist film. The photochemically generated base neutralizes the acid in the imagewise exposed areas of the photoresist film. The non-imagewise exposed portions of the photoresist film, not containing the photochemically generated base, are crosslinked by the catalytic action of the acid upon heating the film, and the imagewise exposed portions of the photoresist film are removed from the substrate by the action of a developer solution leaving a crosslinked positive image on the substrate. In an alternate embodiment the photoresist composition may be applied to conductive substrate surfaces by electrodeposition.