https://nanyte.com/photoresists/az-5214e · last updated 2026-07-26
- Manufacturer
- MicroChemicals / Merck Performance Materials GmbH
- Tone
- image reversal
- Chemistry
- DNQ-novolak
- Thickness
- 1.1–2.0 µm
- Developer
- AZ 340 (metal-ion-containing) or AZ 726 MIF (metal-ion-free)
- Applications
- Lift-off · Image reversal
Cross-checked — two independent extractions agree on the spin curve and the single-value figures.
- Substrate
- Resist
- Exposed
Spin coating
Data points
| Series | rpm | µm |
|---|---|---|
| as supplied | 2000 | 2.0 |
| 3000 | 1.6 | |
| 4000 | 1.4 | |
| 5000 | 1.3 | |
| 6000 | 1.1 |
Values are the manufacturer’s starting points, not a guarantee — characterize on your own tool.
numeric table "FILM THICKNESS [µm] as FUNCTION of SPIN SPEED (characteristically)", p.2 of MicroChemicals/Merck AZ 5214E Technical Data Sheet
- 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.
- Adhesion
- HMDS not required — HMDS/adhesion promotion is not mentioned anywhere in this datasheet.
Soft bake
- Soft bake
- 110 °C · 50 s · hotplate
SOURCE: Processing Guidelines table, p.3: "Prebake 110°C, 50", hotplate"
Exposure dose
No absolute dose is published for AZ 5214E, only ratios to a standard positive process in the same resist: the image-wise exposure is about half the positive dose, the flood exposure about double the positive dose. Run a dose array on your own tool to land the working dose.
- Post-exposure bake
- 120 °C (115–125 °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 or buffered alkaline
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.
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
Practical notes from the datasheet
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.
Troubleshooting
Common failure modes for AZ 5214E, answered from the manufacturer's datasheet and application notes. These are starting points — your substrate, tooling and environment shift the specifics, so calibrate on-tool.
How does AZ 5214E image reversal work?
Coat and soft-bake (110 °C, 50 s), then imagewise expose. The key step is the reversal bake at ~120 °C (individually optimized within 115–125 °C, held to ±1 °C), which crosslinks the exposed areas and makes them insoluble. A blanket flood exposure (>200 mJ/cm², no mask) then makes the originally unexposed areas soluble, and standard positive development yields a negative-tone image with the re-entrant (undercut) sidewall wanted for lift-off.
SOURCE: AZ 5214E Technical Data Sheet
AZ 5214E Technical Data Sheet, Processing Guidelines table + General Information, p.1–3 (reversal bake 120 °C/2 min; flood exposure >200 mJ/cm²)
Why is the reversal bake temperature so critical for AZ 5214E?
The reversal bake is the single most process-sensitive parameter. It must be individually tuned (typically 115–125 °C) and held within ±1 °C. A few degrees too high — above ~130 °C — thermally crosslinks the resist even in unexposed regions and destroys the pattern. The datasheet gives an explicit calibration procedure for finding the correct temperature. By contrast, the flood exposure step is deliberately forgiving.
SOURCE: AZ 5214E Technical Data Sheet, General Information, p.1 (reversal bake ±1 °C within 115–125 °C, 'most critical step')
Which developer does AZ 5214E use?
AZ 340 (metal-ion-containing), used 1:5 diluted by tank or spray, or AZ 726 MIF (metal-ion-free), used as supplied by puddle development. The datasheet does not publish a fixed development time. The resist is stripped afterward with AZ 100 Remover (concentrate).
SOURCE: AZ 5214E Technical Data Sheet, Processing Guidelines table, p.3
What exposure dose does AZ 5214E need in image-reversal mode?
The datasheet does not publish an absolute imagewise dose in mJ/cm² — only a relative rule of thumb: for image-reversal processing the patternwise exposure should be about half that of a standard positive process with the same resist, while the flood exposure should be about double. Exposure is stated qualitatively as broadband / h- and i-line, with 310–420 nm spectral sensitivity. Characterize the imagewise dose on-tool.
SOURCE: AZ 5214E Technical Data Sheet, p.2 (relative IR dose rule; no absolute mJ/cm² published)
How much flood-exposure energy does AZ 5214E need?
The flood (blanket, no-mask) exposure is described as 'absolutely uncritical' as long as enough energy is applied. Greater than 200 mJ/cm² is called a good choice, and anywhere from 150–500 mJ/cm² has no major influence on performance.
SOURCE: AZ 5214E Technical Data Sheet, p.1–3 (flood exposure >200 mJ/cm², uncritical)
Sources & disclaimer
- MicroChemicals / Merck Performance Materials GmbH — AZ 5214E datasheet · accessed 2026-07-10
- Škriniarová et al.. Standard AZ 5214E photoresist in laser interference and EBDW lithographies. Vacuum (2015). doi:10.1016/j.vacuum.2014.09.012AZ 5214E run as an e-beam resist, not just UV
- Elshenety et al.. High thickness material lift-off using multi-layer photoresist. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering (2025). doi:10.1088/1361-6439/adac6bStacked 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 2026-07-26.