A series of molecular glass compounds (SP-BOC, SP-AD, and SP-BU) based on 9,9′-spirobifluorene backbone with different kinds of pendant groups (t-butyloxycarbonyl, adamantyl ester, and t-butyl ester groups) were synthesized. The thermal analysis of the compounds indicated that no apparent glass transition temperature (T g) was observed before the onset of the thermal decomposition temperatures (T d) up to 150 °C. The good thermal resistance suggests that they can satisfy the lithography process and are candidates for photoresist materials. They were used as positive photoresists by mixing with minor components of photoacid generators and other additives, respectively. The amorphous films on the silicon substrate were obtained by spin-coating of the photoresists. The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) performance on the films was evaluated by using soft X-ray interference lithography. The SP-BOC resist achieves the most excellent patterning capability down to 22 nm lines with a line-edge roughness (LER) of 3.3 nm. The outgassing amounts (N s ) of SP-BOC, SP-AD, and SP-BU resists are 3.1 × 1015, 2.3 × 1014, and 2.0 × 1014 molecule/cm2, respectively, at exposure dose of ∼20 mJ/cm2. The results of etch resistance are in the order of SP-AD (0.5 nm/s) > SP-BU (0.8 nm/s) > PMMA (1.1 nm/s) > SP-BOC (1.6 nm/s) > Si 3 N 4 (1.8 nm/s). All the results indicate a significant pendant effect on pattern ability, etching durability, and outgassing for SP resists. This study will help us to understand the relationship between the pendant structure and the EUV lithography and supply useful guidelines for designing molecular resists.

The state transition in cyanobacteria is a long-discussed topic of how the photosynthetic machine regulates the excitation energy distribution in balance between the two photosystems. In the current work, whether the state transition is realized by "mobile phycobilisome (PBS)" or "energy spillover" has been clearly answered by monitoring the spectral responses of the intact cells of the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis. Firstly, light-induced state transition depends completely on a movement of PBSs toward PSI or PSII while the redox-induced one on not only the "mobile PBS" but also an "energy spillover". Secondly, the "energy spillover" is triggered by dissociation of PSI trimers into the monomers which specially occurs under a case from light to dark, while the PSI monomers will re-aggregate into the trimers under a case from dark to light, i.e., the PSI oligomerization is reversibly regulated by light switch on and off. Thirdly, PSI oligomerization is regulated by the local H(+) concentration on the cytosol side of the thylakoid membranes, which in turn is regulated by light switch on and off. Fourthly, PSI oligomerization change is the only mechanism for the "energy spillover". Thus, it can be concluded that the "mobile PBS" is a common rule for light-induced state transition while the "energy spillover" is only a special case when dark condition is involved.

The effects of film thickness and nanograting period on color filter behaviors of the device, fabricated by sub-micrometers patterning on plasmonic silver thin films, have been studied. It is found that color filter properties strongly correlate with film thickness and nanograting period. Based on obtained results, the relationship of the wavelength of transmission minima with film thickness and nanograting period was derived. This equation can predict the transmission minima for a given thickness and period in one-dimensional Ag metallic film nanograting on glass substrate, which could guide to design color filter device with desirable wavelength.

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