Photoresist stripping
is the final step in the photolithography
process that forms fine patterns for electronic devices. Recently,
a mixture of ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene carbonate (PC)
has attracted attention as a new stripper based on its eco-friendliness
and anti-corrosiveness. However, the EC/PC mixture causes re-adsorption
of the photoresist during a process of subsequent water rinsing. In
this study, we characterized the adsorption/desorption of the photoresist
and a triblock Pluronic surfactant [poly(ethylene oxide)–poly(propylene
oxide)–poly(ethylene oxide)] as a blocking agent on an indium
tin oxide (ITO) substrate. In addition, we evaluated the dispersion
of photoresist particles. The photoresist polymer formed a thin and
rigid adsorption layer on an ITO substrate in the EC/PC mixture. When
water was injected into the EC/PC mixture and the photoresist solutions,
the photoresist polymer aggregated and was then deposited on the substrate.
In contrast, the addition of Pluronic surfactant F-68 (PEO79PPO30PEO79) into the EC/PC mixture remarkably
decreased the residual amount of the photoresist on the ITO after
water injection. This variation was attributed to the PEO blocks of
F-68 extended to the solution phase, whereas the PPO blocks of F-68
functioned as anchors for adsorption onto the photoresist. Therefore,
the F-68-adsorbed layer prevented interaction between the photoresist
particles or the photoresist and the ITO surface, which provides potential
for future applications as new stripping agents with high removal
performance.