11. How can resist coatings be removed again?

For the removal of softbaked coatings, polar solvents such as e.g. the respective resist thinner AR 300-12 (methoxy propyl acetate = PGMEA) and the remover AR 600-70 (acetone-based)

12. What is the application range of protective coatings?

Protective coatings are available for a large variety of applications, e.g. for the protection of wafer-backsides: or mechanical protection during transport

13. How do image reversal resists work?

With image reversal resists such as AR-U 4000, positive or negative tone images can be generated of the optical transmitted pattern depending on the manufacturing process. If the resist is processed according to the general protocol for positive resists without any additional steps,

14. How can undercut patterns (lift-off structures) be produced in one- or two layer systems?

A variety of one- or two layer systems are available which generate undercut patterns. For example, AR-P 5350 is a one layer system suitable for the production of metallic vapour phase structures.

15. How can thick films of > 10 µm be processed in an optimal way?

Coating: As a general rule for the coating with thick positive and negative tone resists, resists should be left undisturbed for several hours up to one day before processing ( » Question 6 Optimum coating parameters,

16. Which resolution and which contrast can be obtained with photoresists?

The resolution of resists is influenced by several parameter such as e.g. the type of mask liner used, most of the respective NA (numerical aperture), film thickness, exposure wavelength,

17. How high is the plasma etch resistance of photoresists?

Photoresists of the AR-product lines 3000 to 4000 display a very high etch resistance due to the polymers which are used for their production. This is especially the case for dry etch processes such as e.

18. How high is the etch resistance of photoresist in the presence of strong acids?

Concentrated oxidising acids (sulphuric acid, nitric acid, aqua regia 1) , piranha 2) ) attack resist films already at room temperatures and are often used as removers for persistent resist structures.

19. Which photoresists are suitable for hydrofluoric acid (HF) etching?

The positive tone photoresist X AR-P 3100/10 is extremely adhesion enhanced and thus suitable for HF etching of up to 5 % HF. In particular on glass or silicon oxide, a pre-treatment of substrates with the adhesion promoter AR 300-

20. How high is the solvent resistance of photoresist films?

With respect to the source materials used, photoresists fall into two different categories: PMMA resists (protective coating AR-PC 5000/4, -503, 504, SX AR-N 4800) Novolak resists (AR-