https://nanyte.com/photoresists/az-4533 · last updated 2026-07-12
- Manufacturer
- Merck (AZ Electronic Materials)
- Tone
- positive
- Chemistry
- DNQ-novolak
- Thickness
- 2.7–4.7 µm
- Developer
- AZ 340 (AZ 400K also usable)
Unverified — not yet human-checked; values transcribed from the datasheet, characterize on-tool.
Spin coating
AZ 4533 is spin-coated to 2.7–4.7 µm. The curve below is redrawn from the manufacturer's published data — read your target thickness off the vertical axis and take the matching spin speed as a starting point.
Data points
| Series | rpm | µm |
|---|---|---|
| AZ 4533 as supplied | 2000 | 4.7 |
| 3000 | 3.8 | |
| 4000 | 3.3 | |
| 5000 | 3.0 | |
| 6000 | 2.7 |
Values are the manufacturer's starting points, not a guarantee; verify on your own tool. Characterize on-tool.
numeric table "FILM THICKNESS [µm] as FUNCTION of SPIN SPEED (characteristically)", p.2 of AZ 4500 Series Technical Datasheet (Merck, Rev. 03/21).
Datasheet states the common spin time is about 30-40 s for standard coating. No dispense volume, ramp/acceleration, or static-vs-dynamic dispense is given. The spin-speed table above is captioned 'characteristically', i.e. representative rather than guaranteed values. Dilution/edge-bead removal uses AZ EBR Solvent or AZ EBR 70/30 (PROCESSING GUIDELINES, p.2). AZ 4533-specific reduced-spin-time or multi-coat techniques for extra-thick films are not discussed in this datasheet — those special techniques (3 s spin, multi-coat with bake cycle) are described only for AZ 4562 (the highest-viscosity grade).
- Adhesion
Soft bake
- Soft bake
- 100 °C · 50 s · hotplate
- Notes
SOURCE: PROCESSING GUIDELINES, p.2 ("Prebake: 100°C, 50\", hotplate")
Exposure dose
The manufacturer does not publish a clearing dose for AZ 4533. Determine it with a dose array on your own tool.
- As published
Not published for this resist: Dose at 365 nm, Dose at 405 nm — characterize on-tool.
Development
- Developer
- AZ 340 (AZ 400K also usable)
- Dilution
- AZ 340 diluted 1:5 with water; no dilution stated for AZ 400K.
- Developer family
- Buffered alkaline
Not published for this resist: Time, Method, Rinse — characterize on-tool.
SOURCE: PROCESSING GUIDELINES, p.2 ("Development: AZ 340, 1:5, 30\"/µm film thickness"); GENERAL INFORMATION, p.2
Hard bake, etch & strip
- Hard bake
- 115 °C · 50 s
- Stripper
- AZ 100 Remover, concentrated. Source: PROCESSING GUIDELINES, p.2.
- Storage
Not published for this resist: Descum, Etch resistance — characterize on-tool.
SOURCE: PROCESSING GUIDELINES, p.2 ("Postbake: 115°C, 50s hotplate or 60 min. oven")
Where it's used
AZ 4533 is a thick-film member of Merck's AZ 4500 series, formulated (per p.1) with a photoactive compound of "low absorption and reduced nitrogen content" specifically so film thicknesses above the ~3 µm ceiling of standard positive resists can still be fully exposed and cleared without the crosslinking or nitrogen-trapping side effects that appear when a standard resist is pushed to extreme thickness. Reach for AZ 4533 when a moderate thick coat in the few-micron range is enough and a straightforward single-spin process is wanted; step up to AZ 4562 only when the target film is thicker than AZ 4533's standard spin range or needs the reduced-spin-time or multi-coat methods. Unlike the datasheet's introduction, which discusses AZ 4562's special coating techniques (reduced spin time, multi-coat) for very thick films, no such special technique is documented specifically for AZ 4533. This datasheet has no dedicated APPLICATION section and does not name specific end-uses (etch mask, lift-off, plating, etc.) — its content is limited to achieving and processing the thick coating itself, so the applications field is left empty rather than inferred. Develop time is a rate (30 s per µm of film thickness) rather than a fixed duration, and PEB is optional and only relevant to monochromatic exposure. No HMDS/adhesion-promotion guidance is given, unlike the AZ 1500 series datasheet from the same manufacturer. Chemistry classified as dnq-novolak from MicroChemicals' statement that AZ/TI resist resin is novolak and the photoactive compound belongs to the diazonaphthoquinone (DNQ) group (chemistry classified 2026-07-12 from manufacturer SDS/TDS).
Sources & disclaimer
- Merck (AZ Electronic Materials) — AZ 4533 datasheet (Rev. (03/21)) · accessed 2026-07-10
- https://www.microchemicals.com/AZ-4533-Photoresist-3.785-l/1A004533 — MicroChemicals states: 'The resin of AZ and TI resists is Novolak... photo active compound... belongs to the group of diazonaphthoquinones (DNQ)'; the basis for classifying AZ 4533 as dnq-novolak.
Manufacturer datasheet values are starting points; optimal parameters depend on your substrate, equipment and environment. Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. NANYTE is not affiliated with the manufacturers listed. Last updated 2026-07-12.