AZ 4562 process recipe

Spin coating

AZ 4562 is spin-coated to 5.1–8.8 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.

GENERAL INFORMATION (p.1) states AZ 4562 "allows to spin coat 10 µm in a single step (2000 rpm)" — this rounded prose figure disagrees with the precise tabulated value of 8.77 µm at 2000 rpm on p.2; the table value was used in spinCurves as the more precise, directly tabulated figure, but the discrepancy should be checked against the source PDF during visual QC. For thicker films the datasheet describes two special techniques specific to AZ 4562: (1) reducing the common ~30-40 s spin time to only 3 s, yielding ~20 µm, but the substrate must then be left horizontal on the spinner for an additional minute to dry; (2) multiple coating with a bake cycle in between (inter-coat bakes must not exceed 90°C or the final prebake temperature, whichever is lower), exploiting the fact that AZ 4562's high solids content (close to its dissolution limit) means the underlying coat is only minimally redissolved. No dispense volume or ramp/acceleration is given for either the standard or special techniques.

Soft bake

Soft bake

100 °C · 50 s · hotplate

Notes

Series-wide PROCESSING GUIDELINES value, not stated as AZ 4562-specific vs AZ 4533-specific — the table applies to both grades and assumes a standard single coat, not the special thick-film techniques. For thick coatings the datasheet separately advises (p.1, GENERAL INFORMATION) leaving the resist at room temperature at least 15 minutes before prebake to let solvent evaporate, and preferring a hotplate with a ramped temperature over an oven, to avoid trapped-solvent bubbling and adhesion failure. For AZ 4562 multi-coating specifically, inter-coat bakes must not exceed 90°C or the final prebake temperature (whichever is lower).Show more

SOURCE: PROCESSING GUIDELINES, p.2 ("Prebake: 100°C, 50\", hotplate"); GENERAL INFORMATION, p.1 (multi-coat inter-bake constraint)

Exposure dose

The manufacturer does not publish a clearing dose for AZ 4562. Determine it with a dose array on your own tool.

As published

PROCESSING GUIDELINES states exposure is "broadband and monochromatic"; PHYSICAL and CHEMICAL PROPERTIES gives spectral sensitivity as 310-440 nm for AZ 4562, with an absorptivity of 1.01 l/g·cm at 398 nm (vs 0.86 for AZ 4533). No single dose value is published for this grade.Show more

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

Store in sealed original containers between 0°C and 25°C; brief excursions do not adversely affect properties (+27°C for 10 hours, +32°C for 6 hours, or +35°C for 5 hours). Shelf life is 1 year at recommended storage conditions; the expiration date is printed on each bottle's label. Source: HANDLING ADVISES, p.3.Show more

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 4562 is the highest-viscosity grade in Merck's AZ 4500 series, formulated (per p.1) with a photoactive compound of "low absorption and reduced nitrogen content" so that films far thicker than the ~3 µm ceiling of standard positive resists can still be fully exposed through their depth without surface crosslinking or nitrogen-bubble lifting. Choose AZ 4562 over AZ 4533 whenever the film has to be thicker than the thinner grade's standard spin range delivers, or when only its reduced-spin-time or multi-coat routes can reach the target — for ordinary few-micron coats, AZ 4533 remains the simpler choice. It is the only grade in this datasheet with documented special coating techniques for extreme thickness: a 3 s reduced spin time (with the wafer left horizontal an extra minute to dry) for ~20 µm films, or multi-coating with inter-coat bakes capped at 90°C (or the final prebake temperature, whichever is lower) for still-thicker stacks, up to a series-wide ceiling of 50 µm. A minor internal inconsistency exists between the prose claim of '10 µm in a single step (2000 rpm)' (p.1) and the tabulated 8.77 µm at 2000 rpm (p.2) — the table value is used in the spin curve here as the more precise figure, but this is worth a human check against the source PDF. This datasheet has no dedicated APPLICATION section, does not name specific end-uses (etch mask, lift-off, plating, etc.), and does not address grayscale or 3D lithography despite being the series' thick-film flagship grade — none of those are asserted here. 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.

Sources & disclaimer

• Merck (AZ Electronic Materials) — AZ 4562 datasheet (Rev. (03/21)) · accessed 2026-07-10

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 2026-07-10.

Related recipes