Evaluation of Electron Blur for Different Electron Energies

The transport of slow electrons holds fundamental significance and finds applications across various fields. In extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, electrons generated after EUV photon absorption can initiate chemical reactions, thereby inducing a solubility switch. Investigating electron transport within materials pertinent to EUV lithography is not only of fundamental interest but also aids in understanding and enhancing lithographic resolution. In this study, we employed an experimental approach to measure the effective electron attenuation length (EAL) for electrons within the 10–90 eV energy range across several relevant materials, including poly(4-hydroxystyrene) and chemically amplified resists. The obtained EAL values exhibited minimal dependence on electron energy and ranged between 0.6 and 2.7 nm, varying depending on the material under investigation.