Materials Research Group, Inc. in collaboration with the Colorado School of Mines, proposes and investigation of the potential of near field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) for generating 100 nanometer level patterns in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) photoresists using optically enhanced oxidation. This research builds on MRS's expertise in -Si:H photoresists for in situ patterning of HgCdTe and CSM's expertise in the design and application of near field microscopy. The complete resists process will be examined: deposition, pattern generation, and hydrogen plasma development. Deposition parameters of a-Si:H will be optimized to minimize the required exposure dose. Hydrogen plasma etching parameters will be optimized to give high a-Si:H to oxide selectivity while maintaining high aspect ratios in the final pattern. Extensive work on NSOM patterning will determine the effects of scan speed, scan height, illumination energy, and dither amplitude on line width and oxide thickness. Methods of increasing the scan speed to allow 100x180 micron image regions to be scanned at 100 nm resolution on a one second time frame will be examined.
