Stepper Recipes

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Below is a listing of stepper lithography recipes. Based on your sample reflectivity, absorption, and surface topography the exposure time / focus offset parameters may vary. This listing is a guideline to get you started. The recipes are tabulated to give you the values of the key parameters you will need to establish your recipe. For wafer cleaning and preparation including HMDS use, please refer to the cleaning and preparation section in the lithography section of this web site. Post develop bakes (not listed) are used to make the resist more etch resistant and depend on subsequent processes. Care should be taken with post development bakes as resist reflow can occur. Unless otherwise noted, all exposures are done on flat, silicon wafers.

Parameters are indicated in separate tables for each stepper system. Multiply the exposure times by 0.30 (from the 6300 system) to get a starting exposure time for the GCA Autostep200 system. You will need to do an exposure array to get precise times for the Autostep system. In general, the resolution achievable is ~ 100 nm smaller for the Autostep200 system.

Stepper 1 (GCA 6300)

Positive Resist (GCA 6300)

Unless otherwise noted, bakes are on hot plates. For recipes with CEM, the CEM is spun on after the first resist bake, exposure is then done, and the CEM is rinsed off with DI water before the PEB. CEM generally improves resolution and process tolerance at the expense of higher exposure time.

Resist	Spin Cond.	Bake	Thickness	Exposure Time	Focus Offset	PEB	Developer	Developer Time	Comments
SPR955CM0.9	3 krpm/30”	95°C/60”	~ 0.9 um	1.2”	0	110°C/60”	AZ300MIF	60"	0.5 um isolated lines See SPR955CM data file
SPR955CM0.9	3 krpm/30”	95°C/60”	~ 0.9 um	3.0”	4	110°C/60”	AZ300MIF	60"	0.5 um isolated lines Much longer exposure time for dense isolated holes See SPR955CM data file
SPR955CM0.9 CEM365iS	3 krpm/30” 5 krpm/30”	95°C/90”	~ 0.9 um	2.2”	-10	110°C/60”	AZ300MIF	60"	0.35um isolated lines by SEM measurement. Higher exposure time due to CEM See SPR955CM data file
SPR950-0.8	4 krpm/30”	95°C/60”	~ 0.8 um	1.0”	0	105°C/60”	AZ300MIF	60"
SPR955CM-1.8	4 krpm/30”	90°C/90”	~ 1.8 um	2.3”	0	110°C/90”	AZ300MIF	60"	0.5 um isolated lines See 955CM-1.8 data file
SPR220-3.0	2.5 krpm/30”	115°C/90”	~ 2.7 um	2.4”	10	115°C/90”	AZ300MIF	60"	0.5 um isolated lines See SPR220-3 Data File
SPR220-7.0	3.5 krpm/45”	115°C/120”	~ 7.0 um	4.5”	0	*50°C/60” 115°C/90”	AZ300MIF	60"	1.0 um isolated lines; 1.25 um isolated spaces *Let sample sit in air for 20 minutes before PEB, step to 50°C for 60” first, then 115°C See SPR220-7 Data File

Negative Resist (GCA 6300)

Unless otherwise noted, bakes are on hot plate. All flood exposures are done in broadband light using any contact aligner. Also, because the tone is negative, a shorter first exposure time will result in more undercut, which is desirable for single-layer lift-off processes. Under these conditions more develop time will also give more undercut.

Resist	Spin Cond.	Bake	Thickness	Exposure Time	Focus Offset	PEB	Flood	Developer	Developer Time	Comments
AZ5214	6 krpm/30”	95°C/60”	~ 1.0 um	0.2”	0	110°C/60”	60"	AZ300MIF	60"	0.5 um res. possible, but resist is sensitive to environment
nLOF5510	3 krpm/30”	90°C/60”	~ 0.93 um	0.74”	-6	110°C/60”	0	AZ300MIF	60"	0.5 um line openings good dense or isolated Use heated 1165 stripper for removal or lift-off See nLOF5510 data file
nLOF2020	4 krpm/30”	110°C/60”	~ 2 um	0.55”	-6	110°C/60”	0	AZ300MIF	90"	~ .85 um line opening/lift-off good. Isolated mesas can be smaller. Use heated 1165 stripper for removal or lift-off Sensetive to PEB temp. See nLOF2020 Data File

Stepper 2 (AutoStep 200)

Positive Resist (Autostep200)

Unless otherwise noted, bakes are on hot plates. For recipes with CEM, the CEM is spun on after the first resist bake, exposure is then done, and the CEM is rinsed off with DI water before the PEB. CEM generally improves resolution and process tolerance at the expense of higher exposure time.

Resist	Spin Cond.	Bake	Thickness	Exposure Time	Focus Offset	PEB	Developer	Developer Time	Comments
SPR955CM-0.9	3 krpm/30”	95°C/90”	~ 0.9 um	0.35”	0	110°C/90”	AZ300MIF	60”	0.5um dense lines See SPR955CM AS200 data file
SPR955CM-0.9	3 krpm/30”	95°C/90”	~ 0.9 um	0.8”	0	110°C/90”	AZ300MIF	60”	0.5um holes
SPR955CM-1.8	4 krpm/30”	95°C/90”	~ 1.8 um	0.4”	-1	110°C/90”	AZ300MIF	60”	See SPR955-1.8 AS200 data file

Negative Resist (Autostep200)

Unless otherwise noted, bakes are on hot plate. All flood exposures are done in broadband light using any contact aligner. Also, because the tone is negative, a shorter first exposure time will result in more undercut, which is desirable for single-layer lift-off processes. Under these conditions more develop time will also give more undercut.

Resist	Spin Cond.	Bake	Thickness	Exposure Time	Focus Offset	PEB	Flood	Developer	Developer Time	Comments
nLOF5510	3 krpm/30”	90°C/60”	~ 0.93 um	.25”	-1	110°C/60”	0	AZ300MIF	60”	0.4 um lines dense good Use heated 1165 stripper for removal or lift-off See nLOF5510 As200 data file