ABSTRACT
Polymer materials are widely used in the microelectronics field today, and the development of high-performance polymers and good functionalized polymers enables the manufacture of more reliable, more stable, and easier processable devices. Polyimides have been playing a great role in the microelectronic applications due to their good planarization ability, insulating ability, and excellent thermostability. Electron beam (EB) lithography is one of the microlithographic techniques with high resolution. This chapter discusses the strategy for the electron beam lithography of polyimides and their molecular design. One of the important factors in designing an electro-beam-sensitive polyimide is how to control the solubility before and after radiation. One strategy is to degrade the polyimide during the EB irradiation by introducing unstable moieties, since many polyimides are usually insoluble. The other stategy is to make a soluble polyimide insoluble by EB radiation. For the later strategy, polyamic acids are also available.
