ABSTRACT:A positive-type photosensitive polybenzoxazole (PSPBO) based on a poly(o-hydroxy amide) (PHA), a dissolution inhibitor (DI) 9,9-bis(4-tert-butoxycarbonyloxyphenyl)fluorene (t-BocBHF), a thermoacid generator (TAG) isopropyl p-toluenesufonate (ITS), and a photoacid generator (PAG) (5-propylsulfonyloxyimino-5H-thiophene-2-ylidene)-(2-methylphenyl)acetonitrile (PTMA) has been developed. ITS was easily prepared by reaction of p-toluenesulfonyl chloride with isopropyl alcohol. The dissolution behavior of the PSPBO system was studied in relation to PTMA loadings, and post exposure baking (PEB) temperature and time. The PSPBO consisting of PHA (73 wt %), t-BocBHF (18 wt %), ITS (7.5 wt %), and PTMA (1.5 wt %) exhibited a sensitivity of 33 mJ/cm 2 and a contrast of 5.1 when exposed to 365 nm light (i-line) and developed with an aqueous alkaline developer, 2.38 wt % tetramethylammonium hydroxide solution (TMAHaq)/2.5 wt % iso-propanol (i-PrOH). A clear positive image with 3 mm features was produced by contact-printing and converted into a poly(benzoxazole) (PBO) pattern upon heating at 250 C for 20 min. Thus, the ITS is effective as a TAG for improving the sensitivity and low temperature cyclization of PHA into the PBO as well to meet practical requirement in the industry. 1-5 are used as buffer coatings to protect bare chips from stresses induced by fillers or thermal mismatches between a passivation layer and molding materials. These compounds possess high mechanical strength, thermal stability, and low dielectric constants. They have been developed to simplify processes in which a precursor of polybenzoxazoles (PBOs), poly(o-hydroxy amide) (PHA), is used as a polymer matrix. The phenolic hydroxyl groups in PHA promote solubility of 2.38 wt % tetramethylammonium hydroxide solution (TMAHaq), used as the aqueous alkaline developer. Previously, PHA obtained from 4,4 0 -(hexafluoroisopropylidene)bis(o-aminophenol) (6FAP) and 4,4 0 -oxybis(benzoic acid) derivatives was used because of its high transparency at a wavelength of 365 nm (i-line). A conventional PSPBO was formulated by adding the photo-sensitizer diazonaphthoquinone (DNQ) to PHA. The sensitivity of photopolymers is important in the design of photoresist materials. The conventional PSPBO based on DNQ, however, possesses low sensitivity (>100 mJ/cm 2 ) and a strong absorbance at 365 nm, and is difficult to use for thick patterns. To overcome these problems, a chemically amplified technique was introduced to develop PSPBOs coupled with a photoacid generator (PAG), 7 for which 9,9-bis(4-tert-butoxycarbonyloxyphenyl)fluorene (tBocBHF) was used as a dissolution inhibitor (DI).
8This three-component, positive-type, alkaline-developable PSPBO showed the sensitivity and contrast of 34 mJ/cm 2 and 5.8, respectively with i-line exposure, to produce a 20 mm image in 10 mm thick film. A positive image of PHA is converted into that of PBO by thermal treatment at 350 C. This high-temperature process is not applicable to conventional electronic applications containing on...