https://nanyte.com/photoresists/az-nlof-2020 · last updated 2026-07-26
- Manufacturer
- Merck
- Tone
- negative
- Chemistry
- Chemically amplified
- Thickness
- 1.6–4.6 µm
- Exposure dose
- 66 mJ/cm² at 365 nm
- Developer
- AZ 300MIF
- Applications
- Lift-off · Etch mask
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 |
|---|---|---|
| AZ nLOF 2020 | 500 | 4.6 |
| 1000 | 3.3 | |
| 1500 | 2.8 | |
| 2000 | 2.4 | |
| 2500 | 2.1 | |
| 3000 | 1.9 | |
| 3500 | 1.7 | |
| 4000 | 1.6 |
Values are the manufacturer’s starting points, not a guarantee — characterize on your own tool. Series digitized from a published figure are approximate (±10 %).
read from figure, "SPIN CURVES (150mm Silicon)", p.1 of AZ nLOF 2000 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21) — chart plots three grades (nLOF 2070 red, nLOF 2035 yellow, nLOF 2020 blue) with an explicit color-coded legend; nLOF 2020 identified by its blue 'nLOF 2020' legend entry (bottom curve, lowest thickness at every speed) and cross-checked against the grade-specific 2.0 µm reference process (p.3, p.6-7, which names 'AZ nLOF 2020 (33cPs)' explicitly).
- This grade is the bottom (lowest-thickness-at-every-speed) trace on the three-grade family chart, identified by its blue 'nLOF 2020' legend entry — and corroborated a second way, beyond the legend color alone: this datasheet's own 2.0 µm reference process names the exact resist run as 'AZ nLOF 2020 (33cPs)' (p.3, p.6-7), matching the lowest-viscosity trace on the chart.
- Still a figure read, not a numeric table, so visual QC is required.
- No dispense volume, spin ramp, or edge-bead detail is published in this datasheet.
- Adhesion
- HMDS recommended — Oxide-forming substrates (e.g. Si) should be HMDS primed prior to coating (PROCESS CONSIDERATIONS > SUBSTRATE PREPARATION, p.8).
- Rehydration
- None required — p.1 TYPICAL PROCESS states 'Rehydration Hold: None', consistent with this being a chemically amplified resist, not a DNQ resist.1
Soft bake
- Soft bake
- 110 °C (100–110 °C) · 60 s · hotplate
- Notes
- Consistent across every 2.0 µm nLOF 2020 reference process in this datasheet (p.3, p.6, p.7): 110°C, 60 s, direct contact hotplate.
SOURCE: EXAMPLE PROCESS (2.0µm Film Thickness on Si), p.3 of AZ nLOF 2000 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21)
Exposure dose
The manufacturer publishes 66 mJ/cm² at 365 nm. 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
- 66 mJ/cm²
- Dose at 405 nm
- Not published — characterize on-tool
- As published
- 66 mJ/cm² i-line is the nominal for a 2.0 µm film, and the through-dose data shows it still printing from 62 to 74 mJ/cm², so there is real latitude around that number.
- Post-exposure bake
- 110 °C (100–115 °C) · 60 s
SOURCE: EXAMPLE PROCESS (2.0µm Film Thickness on Si), p.3 of AZ nLOF 2000 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21)
Development
- Developer
- AZ 300MIF
- Dilution
- undiluted (ready-to-use 0.26N / 2.38% TMAH developer; no dilution ratio stated)
- Time
- 60 s
- Method
- puddle
- Rinse
- Not published — characterize on-tool
- Developer family
- TMAH-based
SOURCE: EXAMPLE PROCESS (2.0µm Film Thickness on Si), p.3 of AZ nLOF…
EXAMPLE PROCESS (2.0µm Film Thickness on Si), p.3 of AZ nLOF 2000 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21): 'AZ 300MIF, 60s single puddle'
Hard bake, etch & strip
- Stripper
- AZ 400T or AZ Remover 770 (solvent-based removers), recommended per PROCESS CONSIDERATIONS > STRIPPING, p.8 of AZ nLOF 2000 Series Technical datasheet.
Not published for this resist: Hard bake, Descum, Etch resistance, Storage — characterize on-tool.
SOURCE: PROCESS CONSIDERATIONS > HARD BAKE, p.8 of AZ nLOF 2000 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21)
Where it's used
Practical notes from the datasheet
AZ nLOF 2020 is the thinnest (~2 µm) grade of AZ's chemically amplified nLOF 2000 lift-off series, and the only one of this recipe set's nLOF grades with a single stated nominal exposure dose rather than a dose-latitude sweep with no headline number: its 66 mJ/cm² i-line nominal sits comfortably inside the datasheet's own 62-74 mJ/cm² through-dose printable window, not pinned to an edge. As with the rest of the series, PEB is REQUIRED, not optional as on the DNQ positive resists elsewhere in this project, and is the step that most directly sets the negative-tone undercut lift-off profile — the datasheet's own CD-vs-PEB-temperature data (measured on the related 2035 grade) puts the sensitivity at roughly <0.04 µm/°C, so a few degrees of hotplate drift shows up as a real dimensional shift. Develop is a single 60 s AZ 300MIF puddle, simpler than the two-puddle cycle the thicker 2070 grade needs to fully clear its film. No rehydration wait is needed after softbake, unlike the thick DNQ positive resists elsewhere in this set, and the cured film's >150°C thermal stability is what lets the undercut profile survive a subsequent metal evaporation and lift-off step. The datasheet explicitly does not recommend the nLOF 2000 series for use on copper substrates.
Grades in this family
Other grades in the AZ nLOF 2000 Series line differ mainly in coating thickness:
| Grade | Thickness | Exposure dose |
|---|---|---|
| AZ nLOF 2020 (this page) | 1.6–4.6 µm | 66 mJ/cm² @ 365 nm |
| AZ nLOF 2035 | 3–6.1 µm | 80 mJ/cm² @ 365 nm |
| AZ nLOF 2070 | 5.3–11.8 µm | — |
Troubleshooting
Common failure modes for AZ nLOF 2020, 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 do I get a clean lift-off undercut with AZ nLOF 2020?
AZ nLOF 2020 is a chemically amplified negative resist, so the undercut lift-off sidewall forms directly from a standard expose/PEB/develop flow with no image-reversal step. The PEB is required for imaging: the 2.0 µm reference process is 66 mJ/cm² i-line, PEB 110°C/60 s, then a 60 s AZ 300MIF puddle. Its >150°C thermal stability lets the undercut survive metal evaporation and lift-off.
SOURCE: AZ nLOF 2000 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21) — EXAMPLE PROCESS (2.0µm on Si), p.3, and POST EXPOSE BAKE, p.8
Why does my AZ nLOF 2020 linewidth shift between runs?
Critical dimensions in nLOF 2000 depend on post-exposure-bake temperature — the datasheet quotes a sensitivity under 0.04 µm/°C — so a few degrees of hotplate drift shows up as a real dimensional change. Hold the PEB at 110°C for 60 s, keep the hotplate level and calibrated, and minimize any delay between soft bake and exposure.
SOURCE: AZ nLOF 2000 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21) — PROCESS CONSIDERATIONS > POST EXPOSE BAKE, p.8
What exposure dose does AZ nLOF 2020 need?
The 2.0 µm reference process uses 66 mJ/cm² nominal at i-line (365 nm), and the through-dose sweep stays printable from 62 to 74 mJ/cm², so the nominal sits inside its own latitude window rather than at an edge. Exposure must be at 365 nm. No h-line (405 nm) dose is published.
SOURCE: AZ nLOF 2000 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21) — EXAMPLE PROCESS (2.0µm on Si), p.3
Which developer does AZ nLOF 2020 use, and is a rehydration wait needed?
Develop in AZ 300MIF, an industry-standard 0.26N/2.38% TMAH developer, as a single 60 s puddle — simpler than the two-puddle cycle the thicker 2070 grade needs. Being chemically amplified, nLOF 2020 needs no rehydration hold after soft bake (the Typical Process lists 'Rehydration Hold: None'); just minimize the soft-bake-to-exposure delay.
SOURCE: AZ nLOF 2000 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21) — EXAMPLE PROCESS (2.0µm on Si), p.3, and TYPICAL PROCESS, p.1
Sources & disclaimer
- Merck — AZ nLOF 2020 datasheet (Rev. (03/21)) · accessed 2026-07-10
- TYPICAL PROCESS, p.1 of AZ nLOF 2000 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21)
- Herth et al.. Performances of the Negative Tone Resist AZnLOF 2020 for Nanotechnology Applications. IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology (2012). doi:10.1109/TNANO.2012.2196802The most-cited nLOF 2020 characterization: 50 nm lines at 100 nm pitch by e-beam
- Lilak et al.. Spoken Digit Classification by In-Materio Reservoir Computing With Neuromorphic Atomic Switch Networks. Frontiers in Nanotechnology (2021). doi:10.3389/fnano.2021.675792Lift-off Pt grid for a neuromorphic atomic-switch-network chip
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.