Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
A laser-generated plasma source of monochromatized soft x-rays has been used to study the x-ray lithographic resist properties of poly(cyclohexylmethylsilane-co-dimethylsilane). X-ray absorption spectra near the SiL2,3 edge of unexposed samples were measured to guide the choice of exposure photon energy. We find that poly(cyclohexyl-methylsilane-co-dimethylsilane) exhibits positive tone at x-ray energies near 105 eV (Si 2p resonance), a sensitivity of 1000 mJ/cm2 and a contrast of 1.5. Sensitivity is found to increase markedly when exposed samples are held in air before development. Using simple wire mesh masks, estimates of the minimum achievable linewidth have been made.