Fundamental investigation on interaction between hexafluoroisopropylalcohol-containing styrene and photochemical acid generator for rationale design of photoresist system

This article presents the effect of some ionic photochemical acid generators (PAGs) to inhibit the dissolution of hexafluoroisopropylalcohol (HFA)-containing polystyrene to an aqueous alkaline developer, which is a highly important effect in photoresist application to enhance resolution of patterning. The dissolution inhibiting factors and mechanisms were investigated by evaluating the solubility and the H-1-NMR analysis of OH proton in HFA moiety. The dissolution inhibition effect was enhanced when the structures of PAGs fulfill some requirements: (a) their anions should have higher basicity and smaller van der Waals volume; (b) their cations should be stabilized by conjugation with electron-rich aromatics. In the dissolution inhibition, the HFA moiety interacts with the anionic part of PAGs liberated from the electrostatic interaction with the counter cation. These interactions were predicted and quantified by DFT calculations using Gaussian 09, leading to the rational designs of PAGs with higher dissolution inhibiting effect in photoresist systems. (c) 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 531-538