RESUMO
Two key concepts in extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) are important for it to be a candidate for the mass production of future integrated circuits: the polymer formulation and the photofragmentation process. In this work, both concepts were carefully studied. The design and synthesis of radiation-sensitive organic polymeric materials based on the inclusion of a radiation-sensitive tetrahydrothiophenium functional group are outlined. A 1-(4-methacryloyoxy)naphthalene-1-yl)tetrahydro-1H-thiophenium trifluoromethanesulfonate (MANTMS) monomer containing the tetrahydrothiophenium group undergoes homo- and copolymerizations using free-radical polymerization with a 2,2'-azobis(isobutyronitrile) initiator. The surface photodegradation and oxidation of these novel polymeric materials were investigated using highly monochromatized soft X-rays from synchrotron radiation at the carbon K-edge excitation region. An efficient functionalization was observed when the excitation energy was tuned to C 1s â π*CâC. A high rate of defluorination and a loss of sulfonated groups as a result of an increase in the irradiation time for the MANTMS homopolymer thin films were mainly observed under the π*CâC excitation of the naphthyl functional groups. On the contrary, excitation similar to C 1s â π*CâO or C 1s â σ*C-F did not produce important degradation, showing a highly selective process of bond breaking. Additionally, the presence of methyl methacrylate copolymer in the original MANTMS yielded a much higher degree of stability against inner-shell radiation damage. Our results highlight the importance of choosing the right polymer formulation and excitation energy to produce a sensitive material for EUVL without using the concept of chemical amplification.
RESUMO
The aim of this study was to establish background values for toxic and essential elements in hair, interelement correlations and the differences in levels between genders in a healthy young population from Southern Brazil. Hair samples (n=167) were collected from healthy students aged 12-18 years. Trace element concentrations in hair were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The study provided relatively low values for toxic elements and balanced concentrations for the essential elements in the adolescents' hair with reliable reference data. Interestingly, this study also demonstrated statistical correlations considered newfound between the elements in hair. Hair mercury levels were influenced by gender; with males presenting higher values. The overall findings of the present study, with respect to the estimated chemical elements, are of prime importance in the evaluation of reference values for determining environmental effects on children living in urban areas.