AZ 5214E process recipe

Spin coating

AZ 5214E is spin-coated to 1.1–2.0 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.

Datasheet gives no accel/dispense/edge-bead procedure beyond naming AZ EBR Solvent for dilution/edge-bead removal (Processing Guidelines table, p.3). 4000 rpm (1.40 µm) is bolded in the source table, suggesting it as the reference/typical spin speed, though the datasheet does not explicitly label it as such.

Soft bake

Soft bake

110 °C · 50 s · hotplate

SOURCE: Processing Guidelines table, p.3: "Prebake 110°C, 50", hotplate"

Exposure dose

The manufacturer does not publish a clearing dose for AZ 5214E. Determine it with a dose array on your own tool.

As published

Exposure is stated only qualitatively: "broadband and monochromatic h- and i-line" (Processing Guidelines, p.3), with a spectral sensitivity range of 310–420 nm (Physical & Chemical Properties table, p.2). No absolute imagewise exposure dose in mJ/cm² is published.Show more

Post-exposure bake

120 °C · 2 min

Flood exposure

200 mJ/cm²

Not published for this resist: Dose at 365 nm, Dose at 405 nm — characterize on-tool.

Development

Developer

AZ 340 (metal-ion-containing) or AZ 726 MIF (metal-ion-free)

Dilution

AZ 340 used 1:5 diluted; AZ 726 MIF used as supplied

Method

AZ 340: tank or spray; AZ 726 MIF: puddle

Developer family

TMAH-based

Not published for this resist: Time, Rinse — characterize on-tool.

SOURCE: Processing Guidelines table, p.3: "Development AZ 340, 1:5 (tank, spray) or AZ 726 (puddle)"

Hard bake, etch & strip

Hard bake

120 °C · 50 s

Stripper

AZ 100 Remover, concentrate (Processing Guidelines table, p.3: "Removal AZ 100 Remover, conc.")

Storage

Store in sealed original containers, protected from light and heat, between 0°C and 25°C; brief excursions to -5°C or +30°C for up to 24 hours do not adversely affect properties. Shelf life is limited; expiration date is printed on the bottle label as [year/month/day]. (Handling Advises, p.3)Show more

Not published for this resist: Descum, Etch resistance — characterize on-tool.

SOURCE: Processing Guidelines table, p.3: "Postbake 120°C, 50s hotplate (optional)"

Where it's used

AZ 5214E is a positive DNQ/novolak resist that is almost exclusively run in image-reversal mode for lift-off, producing a negative (re-entrant) sidewall profile instead of the ~75-85° positive slope of standard positive processing. The reversal-bake temperature is the single most process-sensitive parameter: it must be individually tuned (typically 115-125°C) and held within ±1°C, since a few degrees too high causes thermal crosslinking even in unexposed regions and destroys the pattern; the datasheet gives a explicit calibration procedure for finding it. By contrast, the flood exposure step is deliberately forgiving (150-500 mJ/cm² all work). A T-shaped (overhanging-lip) lift-off profile can also be produced with a modified sequence: light flood exposure before the reversal bake, then normal imagewise exposure and development.

Sources & disclaimer

• MicroChemicals / Merck Performance Materials GmbH — AZ 5214E datasheet · accessed 2026-07-10

1. Škriniarová et al.. Standard AZ 5214E photoresist in laser interference and EBDW lithographies. Vacuum (2015). doi:10.1016/j.vacuum.2014.09.012
   AZ 5214E run as an e-beam resist, not just UV
2. Elshenety et al.. High thickness material lift-off using multi-layer photoresist. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering (2025). doi:10.1088/1361-6439/adac6b
   Stacked multi-layer 5214E lifts off more than 6 µm of electroplated Cu — 4× its single-coat thickness

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.

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