https://nanyte.com/photoresists/az-mir-701 · last updated 2026-10-15
- Manufacturer
- Merck (AZ Electronic Materials)
- Grades
- AZ MiR 701 11 cPs · AZ MiR 701 14 cPs · AZ MiR 701 29 cPs1
- Tone
- positive
- Thickness
- 0.6–2.5 µm
- Exposure dose
- 220 mJ/cm² at 365 nm (14 cPs, 1.08 µm film, 0.35 µm lines)
- Developer
- AZ 300MIF (0.26N / 2.38 % TMAH); AZ 626MIF in the 29 cPs reference process
- Applications
- General prototyping
Cross-checked — the spin curve (where published) and the single-value figures were read twice, independently, from the datasheet, with any disagreement settled against it.
- Substrate
- Resist
- Exposed
Spin coating
Data points
| Series | rpm | µm |
|---|---|---|
| AZ MiR 701 11 cPs | 1000 | 1.4 |
| 1500 | 1.2 | |
| 2000 | 1.0 | |
| 2500 | 0.93 | |
| 3000 | 0.85 | |
| 3500 | 0.78 | |
| 4000 | 0.72 | |
| 4500 | 0.69 | |
| 5000 | 0.65 | |
| 5500 | 0.62 | |
| 6000 | 0.59 | |
| AZ MiR 701 14 cPs | 1000 | 1.9 |
| 1500 | 1.5 | |
| 2000 | 1.3 | |
| 2500 | 1.2 | |
| 3000 | 1.1 | |
| 3500 | 1.0 | |
| 4000 | 0.92 | |
| 4500 | 0.87 | |
| 5000 | 0.83 | |
| 5500 | 0.79 | |
| AZ MiR 701 29 cPs | 1000 | 3.2 |
| 1500 | 2.6 | |
| 2000 | 2.2 | |
| 2500 | 2.0 | |
| 3000 | 1.8 | |
| 3500 | 1.7 | |
| 4000 | 1.6 | |
| 4500 | 1.5 | |
| 5000 | 1.4 | |
| 5500 | 1.3 | |
| 6000 | 1.3 |
Values are the manufacturer’s starting points, not a guarantee — characterize on your own tool. Series digitized from a published figure are approximate (±10 %).
AZ MiR 701 11 cPs: read from figure, 'SPIN CURVES (150mm Wafers)', p.1 of AZ MiR 701 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21); linear axes, 1000–6000 rpm; 11 cPs is the red circle trace (lowest curve), read against the chart's own gridlines to about ±0.03 µm. Cross-check: the p.2 example process lists 14 cPs at 1.08 µm, which falls on the 14 cPs trace near 3000 rpm.
AZ MiR 701 14 cPs: read from figure, 'SPIN CURVES (150mm Wafers)', p.1 of AZ MiR 701 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21); linear axes; 14 cPs is the blue diamond trace (middle curve), read against the chart's own gridlines to about ±0.03 µm, plotted 1000–5500 rpm (the trace continues to 6000 rpm but its last point is not read). The p.2 example process uses this viscosity at 1.08 µm, consistent with the curve near 3000 rpm.
AZ MiR 701 29 cPs: read from figure, 'SPIN CURVES (150mm Wafers)', p.1 of AZ MiR 701 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21); linear axes; 29 cPs is the green square trace (top curve), read against the chart's own gridlines to about ±0.03 µm. Cross-checks: the p.8 reference process gives 1.73 µm for 29 cPs (between the 3000 and 3500 rpm points here) and the MicroChemicals 29 cPs data package gives 1.96 µm (matches the 2500 rpm point).
- The chart is for 150 mm wafers.
- The datasheet does not state spin time, ramp, dispense volume or edge-bead settings; AZ EBR Solvent or AZ EBR 70/30 are named as the thinner and edge-bead remover (p.3).
- The three curves are different resist viscosities, not three conditions of one resist, so pick the viscosity that reaches your target thickness at a speed between about 1000 and 6000 rpm.
- The p.9 dose-to-clear swing curves cover 0.8–1.2 µm (14 cPs, AZ 300MIF) and 1.5–2.5 µm (AZ 626MIF), showing the dose swinging with film thickness.
- Adhesion
- HMDS recommended — Oxide-forming substrates such as Si should be HMDS primed before coating (PROCESS CONSIDERATIONS > SUBSTRATE PREPARATION, p.10). A soft bake toward the top of the 90–100 °C range improves adhesion to metals (SOFT BAKE, p.10).
Soft bake
- Soft bake
- 90 °C (90–100 °C) · 1.5 min · hotplate
- Notes
- 90 °C for 90 s on a direct-contact hotplate in the 14 cPs example processes (the 29 cPs reference process uses 60 s). The typical-process summary lists 60–90 s at 90 °C, and the process-considerations text gives 90–100 °C for the series, with the high end favoring adhesion to metals.
SOURCE: EXAMPLE PROCESS (0.35µm Lines/Space Pattern), p.2, and TYPICAL…
EXAMPLE PROCESS (0.35µm Lines/Space Pattern), p.2, and TYPICAL PROCESS, p.1; range from SOFT BAKE, p.10 of AZ MiR 701 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21)
Exposure dose
The manufacturer publishes 220 mJ/cm² at 365 nm (14 cPs, 1.08 µm film, 0.35 µm lines). Dose scales with film thickness and depends on your optics, so treat it as a starting point and run a dose array.
- Dose at 365 nm
- 220 mJ/cm² (14 cPs, 1.08 µm film, 0.35 µm lines)
- Dose at 405 nm
- Not published — characterize on-tool
- As published
- Reference doses are i-line stepper values: 220 mJ/cm² for 0.35 µm lines in a 1.08 µm film (14 cPs), 210 mJ/cm² for 0.5 µm lines in a 1.73 µm film (29 cPs). Contact holes and thicker films need more.
- Post-exposure bake
- 110 °C (110–115 °C) · 1.5 min
SOURCE: EXAMPLE PROCESS (0.35µm Lines/Space Pattern), p.2 of AZ MiR…
EXAMPLE PROCESS (0.35µm Lines/Space Pattern), p.2 of AZ MiR 701 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21): 'ASML /250 i-line stepper @ 220mJ/cm2 nominal, 0.56NA, 0.75σ', AZ MiR 701 14cps, 1.08µm film on Si, no top coating
Development
- Developer
- AZ 300MIF (0.26N / 2.38 % TMAH); AZ 626MIF in the 29 cPs reference process
- Time
- 60 s
- Method
- puddle
- Developer family
- TMAH-based
Not published for this resist: Dilution, Rinse — characterize on-tool.
SOURCE: EXAMPLE PROCESS, p.2: 'AZ 300MIF, 60 second single puddle'; 29…
EXAMPLE PROCESS, p.2: 'AZ 300MIF, 60 second single puddle'; 29 cPs reference process, p.8: 'AZ 626MIF, 60 second single puddle'; DEVELOPING, p.10
Hard bake, etch & strip
- Hard bake
- 110–120 °C
Not published for this resist: Descum, Etch resistance, Stripper, Storage — characterize on-tool.
SOURCE: HARD BAKE, p.10, and 'Thermal Stability of large pad and 1.0µm…
HARD BAKE, p.10, and 'Thermal Stability of large pad and 1.0µm line', p.11 of AZ MiR 701 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21)
Where it's used
Practical notes from the datasheet
AZ MiR 701 is Merck's fine-feature i-line positive resist, built around 0.5 µm and 0.35 µm device nodes rather than thick-film work. The three viscosities (11, 14 and 29 cPs) trade off thickness: at 3000 rpm the curves read about 0.85, 1.07 and 1.79 µm. The worked examples are all stepper results on Si after a 90 °C soft bake, a 110 °C PEB and a 60 s puddle in TMAH developer, and dose climbs with film thickness (220 mJ/cm² for 0.35 µm lines at 1.08 µm, 210 for 0.5 µm lines at 1.73 µm). A top anti-reflective coating such as AZ Aquatar lowers the dose for the same 0.35 µm lines (180 against 220 mJ/cm²) and helps contact holes below 0.7 µm; below 0.5 µm line/space a bottom coating such as AZ BARLi II may be required to hold CD uniformity. The film swings in dose-to-clear with thickness, so thickness control matters at this resolution.
Troubleshooting
Common failure modes for AZ MiR 701, 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.
When does AZ MiR 701 need an anti-reflective coating?
A top coating such as AZ Aquatar improves photospeed and within-die CD uniformity, and it helps most on contact holes below 0.7 µm. For line/space patterns below 0.5 µm the sheet says a bottom coating such as AZ BARLi II may be needed to hold CD uniformity and prevent reflective notching.
SOURCE: AZ MiR 701 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21) — ANTI-REFLECTIVE COATINGS, p.10
Is the post-exposure bake optional for AZ MiR 701?
The sheet says to use one: it widens the process window and reduces standing-wave effects from monochromatic exposure. Every worked example uses 110 °C for 90 s, and the recommended range is 110–115 °C.
SOURCE: AZ MiR 701 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21) — POST EXPOSE BAKE, p.10; EXAMPLE PROCESS, p.2
What soft-bake temperature should I use on metal-coated substrates?
Soft bake sits in the 90–100 °C range, and the upper end improves adhesion to metals. The sheet notes that soft-bake time and temperature may be application-specific and recommends optimizing them for stable lithography and adhesion.
SOURCE: AZ MiR 701 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21) — SOFT BAKE, p.10
Sources & disclaimer
- Merck (AZ Electronic Materials) — AZ MiR 701 datasheet (Rev. (03/21)) · accessed 2026-10-15
- https://www.microchemicals.com/dokumente/datenblaetter/tds/merck/en/tds_az_mir701_29cps_photoresist.pdf — MicroChemicals' 'AZ EXP MiR 701 Thick Film 29cPs' additional data package (3 slides, January 2021): 0.6 µm dense lines at 280 mJ/cm² in a 1.96 µm film on Si, ASML /250 at 0.54 NA, 90 °C soft bake for 90 s, 110 °C PEB for 90 s, AZ 300MIF 60 s single puddle. It carries only depth-of-focus and linearity images, no spin or bake tables.
- The p.1 'SPIN CURVES (150mm Wafers)' legend plots three viscosities (11 cPs, 14 cPs, 29 cPs); the p.2 to p.6 example processes name 'AZ MiR 701 14cps' and the p.8 reference process names 'AZ MiR 701 29cps'. The datasheet gives no other grade names or part numbers.
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 2026-10-15.