A retrospective on 2-nitrobenzyl sulfonate photoacid generators

An overview on the utility of 8-nitrobenzyl sulfonate photoacid generators (FAG) in chemically amplified deep UV (248 nm) photoresists is presented. This article will detail how structural changes in photoacid generators affect properties such as quantum yield, thermal stability, etc., and will also illustrate how these properties influence the lithographic characteristics of photoresist formulations.