https://nanyte.com/photoresists/az-nlof-5510 · last updated 2026-10-15
- Manufacturer
- Merck
- Tone
- negative
- Chemistry
- Chemically amplified
- Thickness
- 0.8–1.7 µm
- Exposure dose
- 120 mJ/cm² at 365 nm (0.986 µm film, 0.60 NA i-line stepper)
- Developer
- AZ 300MIF (0.26N / 2.38 % TMAH)
- Applications
- Lift-off · Etch mask
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 nLOF 5510 | 1000 | 1.7 |
| 1500 | 1.3 | |
| 2000 | 1.1 | |
| 2500 | 1.0 | |
| 3000 | 0.94 | |
| 3500 | 0.87 | |
| 4000 | 0.81 |
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 5510 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21); linear axes, one trace with seven diamond markers at 1000 to 4000 rpm in 500 rpm steps, read against the chart's own gridlines to about ±0.02 µm. The 0.986 µm film of the example processes (p.3, p.4) falls between the 2500 and 3000 rpm points.
- The chart is for 150 mm silicon and shows a single trace, so there is one viscosity.
- The datasheet does not state spin time, ramp or dispense volume; AZ EBR Solvent or AZ EBR 70/30 are listed as the thinner and edge-bead remover (p.2).
- The example processes use a 0.986 µm coat on bare Si, which per the chart corresponds to roughly 2500–3000 rpm.
- Adhesion
- HMDS recommended — The example processes HMDS vapor prime at 140 °C for 60 s before coating (p.3, p.4). Oxide-forming substrates such as Si should be HMDS primed (PROCESS CONSIDERATIONS > SUBSTRATE PREPARATION, p.7).
- Rehydration
- None required. The typical-process summary lists 'Rehydration Hold: None' (p.1), as expected for a chemically amplified resist.
Soft bake
- Soft bake
- 90 °C (90–100 °C) · 60 s · hotplate
- Notes
- 90 °C for 60 s on a direct-contact hotplate in every example process. The process-considerations text allows 90–100 °C and says to keep the delay between soft bake and exposure as short as possible.
SOURCE: EXAMPLE PROCESS (Dense Lines in 0.986µm Film Thickness on Si)…
EXAMPLE PROCESS (Dense Lines in 0.986µm Film Thickness on Si), p.3, and TYPICAL PROCESS, p.1; range from SOFT BAKE, p.7 of AZ nLOF 5510 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21)
Exposure dose
The manufacturer publishes 120 mJ/cm² at 365 nm (0.986 µm film, 0.60 NA i-line stepper). 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
- 120 mJ/cm² (0.986 µm film, 0.60 NA i-line stepper)
- Dose at 405 nm
- Not published — characterize on-tool
- As published
- 120 mJ/cm² at i-line on a 0.60 NA stepper is the nominal for a 0.986 µm film, with pictured dose steps from 112 to 138 mJ/cm². A separate 0.54 NA window set was run at 180 mJ/cm² with a 120 s develop.
- Post-exposure bake
- 110 °C (105–115 °C) · 60 s
SOURCE: EXAMPLE PROCESS (Dense Lines in 0.986µm Film Thickness on Si)…
EXAMPLE PROCESS (Dense Lines in 0.986µm Film Thickness on Si), p.3 of AZ nLOF 5510 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21): 'i-line @ 120mJ/cm2* nominal (0.60NA) ASML Stepper'; the same 120 mJ/cm2 nominal is repeated for iso trenches on p.4
Development
- Developer
- AZ 300MIF (0.26N / 2.38 % TMAH)
- Time
- 60 s
- Method
- puddle
- Developer family
- TMAH-based
Not published for this resist: Dilution, Rinse — characterize on-tool.
SOURCE: EXAMPLE PROCESS, p.3: 'AZ 300MIF, 60s single puddle'; TYPICAL PROCESS, p.1; DEVELOPING, p.7
Hard bake, etch & strip
- Etch resistance
- The sheet says the resist may be processed with vertical sidewalls for RIE etching or implant layers (APPLICATION, p.1); no etch-rate or selectivity numbers are published.
- Stripper
- AZ 400T or AZ Remover 770, solvent-based removers (STRIPPING, p.8).
Not published for this resist: Hard bake, Descum, Storage — characterize on-tool.
SOURCE: HARD BAKE, p.7, 'HARD BAKE STABILITY for Large Pads', p.7, and…
HARD BAKE, p.7, 'HARD BAKE STABILITY for Large Pads', p.7, and APPLICATION, p.1 of AZ nLOF 5510 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21)
Where it's used
Practical notes from the datasheet
AZ nLOF 5510 is the thin member of Merck's nLOF line, aimed at single-layer lift-off with no image-reversal or multi-layer stack: a standard expose, PEB and develop sequence is said to give the undercut profile. Resolution is quoted to 0.25 µm, and the sheet shows 0.30 µm half-pitch lines and 0.30 µm iso trenches at 0.986 µm thickness on a 0.60 NA stepper. Profile is tuned by dose and PEB temperature, and the same resist can be run with vertical sidewalls for etch or implant masking. Printed features are described as thermally stable to over 200 °C. Dose-to-print swings with film thickness by roughly 83 to 102 mJ/cm² across 0.9–1.15 µm, so hold the coat thickness steady. The PEB must not be skipped, and the datasheet recommends keeping the gap between soft bake and exposure short.
Troubleshooting
Common failure modes for AZ nLOF 5510, 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 change the sidewall profile of AZ nLOF 5510?
The sheet's own footnote says the profile can be modified by varying exposure dose and PEB temperature. The resist is meant to give a lift-off profile from a plain expose/PEB/develop flow, and it can instead be run with vertical sidewalls for RIE etching or implant layers.
SOURCE: AZ nLOF 5510 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21) — APPLICATION, p.1; EXAMPLE PROCESS footnote, p.3
Why does linewidth move between runs with AZ nLOF 5510?
As with other chemically amplified resists, CD depends on PEB temperature, so hold the 110 °C bake steady. Keep the delay between soft bake and exposure short, and control film thickness because dose-to-print swings with thickness across 0.9–1.15 µm.
SOURCE: AZ nLOF 5510 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21) — POST…
AZ nLOF 5510 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21) — POST EXPOSE BAKE and SOFT BAKE, p.7; Dose to Print Swing Curve, p.5
Does AZ nLOF 5510 need a rehydration wait?
No. The typical process lists no rehydration hold, so exposure can follow the soft bake directly, and the sheet advises minimizing that delay.
SOURCE: AZ nLOF 5510 Series Technical datasheet (Rev. 03/21) — TYPICAL PROCESS, p.1; SOFT BAKE, p.7
Sources & disclaimer
- Merck — AZ nLOF 5510 datasheet (Rev. (03/21)) · accessed 2026-10-15
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.