Cryo-electron tomography reconstructs polymer in liquid film for fab-compatible lithography.

ABSTRACT: Liquid film is ubiquitous in nature and serves as the critical medium for the dissolution of photoresist to create nanoscale circuit patterns in lithography, which is a core task since the birth of semiconductor industry. However, despite decades of research, the microscopic behaviors of photoresist in liquid film and at interfaces remain elusive, leading to industrial effort for pattern defect control largely a trial-and-error process. Here, we unravel the nanostructures and dynamics of photoresist polymers in liquid film and at gas-liquid interface using a cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) methodology. The native-state three-dimensional structures of photoresist polymers are reconstructed by cryo-ET at significantly improved resolution compared to conventional methods. Cryo-ET reconstru

SUBMITTER: Zheng L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12484613 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature