Poly(ether sulfone) as a negative resist for electron beam lithography

The sulfone containing polymer poly(butene sulfone) has long been used as positive electron beam resist due to the high scission rate of sulfone under electron irradiation. The authors demonstrate that poly(ether sulfone) acts as a high resolution negative electron beam resist which displays good chemical and dry-etch resistance. The electron beam exposure sensitivity at 10 kV was found to be approximately 230 mu C/cm(2) for poly(ether sulfone), roughly 2.3 times that of poly(methyl methacrylate). As poly(ether sulfone) is a robust engineering polymer that can withstand etching this polymer is a suitable mask material and has properties of interest for direct incorporation in devices. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.