The German semiconductor industry is facing intense competition and must achieve a technological edge in order to open up new markets and remain competitive. At the beginning of March 2025, Fraunhofer researchers launched the “IndiNaPoly” project, in which they are jointly developing a customized nanotechnology polymer platform. The aim of this initiative is to ensure the suitability of future semiconductor generations for large-scale production and to meet the increasing demands for more compact and more powerful microelectronic components. Both manufacturers of chemical products such as specialty polymers and photoresists for the electronics industry and producers of semiconductor components will benefit from the results of the project.
Lithography is crucial for the manufacture of electronic semiconductor components, whereby the development of new resists with high sensitivity and resolution is necessary to increase component density and overcome the challenges of mass production. With the new research project “Individual nanotechnological polymer platform for the mass production capability of future semiconductor generations” (IndiNaPoly), Fraunhofer expert teams are supporting the chemical industry in gaining a technological edge over international competitors and opening up new markets. These include resist manufacturers, who are an important link in the semiconductor industry. Manufacturers of specialty polymers and chemical products for the electronics industry, as well as resin manufacturers and producers of semiconductors, will benefit from the results of the project.
Radiation-sensitive resist for electron beam lithography
The “IndiNaPoly” project addresses the challenges of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum and neuromorphic computing, 5G, autonomous driving and the Internet of Things. The focus is on the development of more sensitive resists for electron beam lithography, which can image nanoscale structures with high resolution and shorter exposure times. The “IndiNaPoly” project closes the existing gap between sensitivity and resolution in electron beam lithography, which requires the pooling of chemical and process engineering expertise.
The project goals are achieved through the interplay of individual polymer synthesis based on the modular principle and continuous optimization of the lithographic process steps. This enables higher resolutions and shorter exposure times, thereby helping to save energy and reduce the CO2 footprint.
Bundled Fraunhofer expertise
The Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF is concentrating on the research and development of new polymer materials in the “IndiNaPoly” project. The focus is on improving imaging properties and developing faster and more sustainable synthesis strategies. In addition to resolution and sensitivity, other properties of the resulting resists are also being examined, such as adhesion to the substrate, etching stability and environmental compatibility.
At the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS, the newly developed resists will be integrated into processes along the entire semiconductor production chain. At the same time, the potential applications of the sensitive and high-resolution resists in important future topics such as sensor technology, quantum computing and photonics will be advanced. The detailed characterization of the resists developed in the project with regard to their performance in lithographic process steps, the further structure transfer into a wide variety of materials by means of etching and the final resist removal will create an attractive technology platform for industry.
The findings from the characterization have the potential to point the way for polymer synthesis with regard to molecular parameters such as molecular weight distribution or chemical composition. The intensive collaboration between the two institutes will enable the optimization of the developed resists over the entire duration of the project.
As pioneers in cooperation between chemical and process technology-focused institutes, the two institutes Fraunhofer LBF and ENAS are pooling their expertise and jointly developing new solutions and application-ready technologies. The “IndiNaPoly” project is funded by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft as part of the PREPARE program and will run for three years.
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