Issue 13, 2023

Silk-based organic photoresists for extreme ultraviolet lithography: a multiscale in silico study

Abstract

The development of photoresists (PRs) for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography has become increasingly popular in the field of semiconductor nanopatterning. However, the rinsing process during sub-10 nm nanopatterning can severely impact the structural integrity of the existing PR materials; therefore, novel, robust PR materials are required. Here, we propose silk procured from silkworms as a potential PR for EUV lithography applications owing to its organic, biocompatible, and ecofriendly nature, and also its excellent mechanical properties. Its structural stability was examined using multiscale in silico methods, and its photoreactivity was evaluated via quantum mechanical calculations, and molecular dynamics simulations were performed to observe the silk peptide assembly behavior after EUV lithography. Moreover, an elastic network model was constructed, and normal mode analysis was conducted to approximate the mechanical properties of the assembled silk peptides. The data demonstrate how photoionization cleaved the covalent bonds between the Cα–Cβ atoms within tyrosine, which eventually destabilized the assembled silk peptides. In addition, the collapse of the secondary structure of the silk peptides after EUV lithography treatment indicated the instability of the self-assembled structure. Nevertheless, despite its organic nature, the photoionized silk exhibited a 25% increase in its Young's modulus compared with those of other PRs.

Graphical abstract: Silk-based organic photoresists for extreme ultraviolet lithography: a multiscale in silico study

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Sep 2022
Accepted
23 Feb 2023
First published
27 Feb 2023

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2023,11, 4415-4425

Silk-based organic photoresists for extreme ultraviolet lithography: a multiscale in silico study

T. Yoon, W. Park, Y. Kim, H. Choi, S. Chung, J. Park, H. J. Chang and S. Na, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2023, 11, 4415 DOI: 10.1039/D2TC04053K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements