This study describes the recent progress of negative-tone imaging with EUV exposure (EUV-NTI) compared with positive-tone development (PTD). NTI uses organic solvent-based developer to provide low swelling and smooth-dissolving behavior. Therefore, EUV-NTI is expected to offer several advantages in terms of performance, especially for improving line-width roughness (LWR), which is expected to resolve the resolution, LWR, and sensitivity (RLS) trade-off. Herein, novel chemical amplified resist materials for EUV-NTI are investigated to improve LWR and sensitivity. Results indicate that the EUV-NTI has better performance than PTD, while maintaining the LWR performance. The novel high sensitivity formulation, with 'single digit mJ/cm 2 photo speed', resolved 22-nm half pitch using NXE3100 scanner. Furthermore, EUV-NTI processing such as the pre-applied bake (PAB) temperature, post-exposure bake (PEB) temperature, development procedure, and rinse procedure are very effective for improving the lithographic performance. In addition, the lithographic performance with NXE3100 scanner is also reported.

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Negative-tone imaging (NTI) with EUV exposure has major advantages with respect to line-width roughness (LWR) and resolution due in part to polymer swelling and favorable dissolution mechanics. In NTI process, both resist and organic solvents play important roles in determining lithography performances. The present study describes novel chemically amplified resist materials based on NTI technology with EUV using specific organic solvents. Lithographic performances of NTI process were described in this paper under exposures using ASML NXE:3300 EUV scanner at imec. It is emphasized that 14 nm hp was nicely resolved under exposure dose of 37 mJ/cm 2 without any bridge and collapse, which are attributed to the low swelling character of NTI process. Although 13 nm hp resolution was potentially obtained, a pattern collapse still restricts its resolution in case coating resist film thickness is 40 nm. Dark mask limitation due mainly to mask defectivity issue makes NTI with EUV favorable approach for printing block mask to produce logic circuit. A good resolution of CD-X 21 nm/CD-Y 32 nm was obtained for block mask pattern using NTI with usable process window and dose of 49 mJ/cm 2 . Minimum resolution now reaches CD-X 17 nm / CD-Y 23 nm for the block. A 21 nm block mask resolution was not affected by exposure dose and explored toward low dose down to 18 mJ/cm 2 by reducing quencher loading. In addition, there was a negligible amount of increase in LCDU for isolated dot pattern when decreasing exposure dose from 66 mJ/cm 2 to 24 mJ/cm 2 . On the other hand, there appeared tradeoff relationship between LCDU and dose for dense dot pattern, indicating photon-shot noise restriction, but strong dependency on patterning features. Design to improve acid generation efficiency was described based on acid generation mechanism in traditional chemically amplified materials which contains photoacid generator (PAG) and polymer. Conventional EUV absorber which comprises of organic compounds is expected to have 1.6 times higher EUV absorption than polyhydroxystyrene based on calculation. However, observed value of acid amount was comparable or significantly worse than polyhydroxystyrene.

Installing accelerometers in a building is an effective way to know how the building shakes when an earthquake happens. In this paper, we will introduce an example of an analysis that captures the acceleration reduction effect of the vibration damping device using data observed by the accelerometer at Roppongi Hills Mori Tower in Minato-ku, Tokyo, during the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011. Moreover, as the latest effort, from the standpoint of a developer who builds and operates a number of high-rise buildings in Japan, where frequent earthquakes are experienced, a system for real-time processing of accelerometer data was developed to instantly diagnose the degree of damage to high-rise buildings, and the actual system of earthquake damage health monitoring is discussed. This system is currently in operation in twelve high-rise buildings including Roppongi Hills Mori Tower.