https://nanyte.com/photoresists/az-p4330-rs · last updated 2026-09-28
- Manufacturer
- Merck KGaA (AZ Electronic Materials)
- Tone
- positive
- Chemistry
- DNQ-novolak
- Thickness
- 3–5 µm
- Developer
- AZ 400K at 1:4, or at 1:3 / AZ 421K (unbuffered) for films above 12 µm; AZ Developer 1:1 where aluminium must not be etched; AZ 340 is also listed
- Applications
- Electroplating / molding · 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 | Published dose |
|---|---|---|---|
| AZ P4330-RS | 1000 | 7.0 | — |
| 1500 | 5.7 | — | |
| 2000 | 5.0 | — | |
| 2500 | 4.3 | — | |
| 3000 | 4.0 | — | |
| 3500 | 3.6 | — | |
| 4000 | 3.4 | — | |
| 4500 | 3.1 | — | |
| 5000 | 3.0 | — |
Values are the manufacturer’s starting points, not a guarantee — characterize on your own tool. Series digitized from a published figure are approximate (±10 %).
Published dose is the datasheet’s own thickness bracket, quoted as printed — the full table and its citation are in the exposure section. A thickness the table does not cover shows nothing, and a thickness within 10 % of a bracket edge shows every bracket it could fall in.
read from figure — the orange circle markers legended 'P4330' on the 'Typical spin curves (150mm substrate)' chart, p.2 of the AZ P4000 Series technical datasheet, Rev. (08/21). Nine plotted markers at 500 rpm steps from 1000 to 5000 rpm; no numeric table accompanies the chart. Each point is read against the chart's 1 µm gridlines; treat each value as a figure read of about ±5 %.
- The chart legend names this trace 'P4330'; the thickness grades and viscosity tables name the product AZ P4330-RS.
- Its markers run from about 7.0 µm at 1000 rpm to 3.0 µm at 5000 rpm, so the rated 3.0-5.0 µm range corresponds to roughly 2000-5000 rpm, and slower spins reach further.
- The chart is for a 150 mm substrate.
- The sheet notes that films up to 8.0 µm, depending on wafer size, can be spun to equilibrium from these curves, and that single films above 7.0 µm are not spun to equilibrium — thicker coats come from timed spread-and-spin programs or multiple coats.
- No dispense volume or acceleration is published for spins inside this range; the only coating sequence given is for films above 20 µm.
- Adhesion
- HMDS recommended — 'Substrates must be clean, dry, and free of organic residues. Oxide forming substrates (Si, etc.) should be HMDS primed prior to coating AZ P4000' (Substrate preparation, p.6). A soft bake towards 115 °C also improves adhesion to most metals.
- Rehydration
- Required for films thicker than 4.0 µm: hold between soft bake and exposure for typically 30-60 minutes, depending on film thickness, at 40-45 % relative humidity (Film rehydration, p.6). The p.3 reference process for a 12 µm AZ P4620 film uses a 30 min hold at 42 % RH.
Soft bake
- Soft bake
- 95–115 °C
- Rehydrate
- 30–60 min (films over 4 µm, 40–45 % RH)
- Notes
- No time is published for this grade. The process-considerations page gives 95-115 °C and calls bake conditions application specific; the typical-process box on p.1 prints the window as 90-115 °C, so the two pages differ by 5 °C at the low end, and the narrower one is carried. Temperatures towards 115 °C improve adhesion to most metals, and thicker films may need a ramped bake to stop solvent outgassing from raising bubbles.
SOURCE: Soft bake section, p.6, and typical process box, p.1, of the AZ P4000 Series technical datasheet, Rev. (08/21)
SOURCE: Film Rehydration, p.6 of the AZ P4000 Series technical…
Film Rehydration, p.6 of the AZ P4000 Series technical datasheet: "P4000 photoresist films thicker than 4.0µm require a rehydration hold between soft bake and exposure. Hold times are typically 30-60 minutes (depending upon film thickness) @ relative humidity 40-45%."
Exposure dose
AZ P4330-RS's dose is published against film thickness, not as a single number. Read the row for the film you coat and run a dose array around it.
- As published
- No dose is given for AZ P4330-RS by name. The series table gives approximate Suss MA-200 aligner doses by film thickness: 90 mJ/cm² at 1.5 µm, 135 mJ/cm² at 3.5 µm and 800 mJ/cm² at 12 µm.
| Film thickness | Dose |
|---|---|
| 1.5 µm | 90 mJ/cm² |
| 3.5 µm | 135 mJ/cm² |
| 12 µm | 800 mJ/cm² |
SOURCE: 'Approximate exposure dose requirement vs. film thickness…
'Approximate exposure dose requirement vs. film thickness (Suss MA-200)' table, p.5 of the AZ P4000 Series technical datasheet, Rev. (08/21): 1.5 µm 90 mJ/cm², 3.5 µm 135 mJ/cm², 12 µm 800 mJ/cm². The table is published for the P4000 series as a whole, indexed by film thickness rather than by grade.
Development
- Developer
- AZ 400K at 1:4, or at 1:3 / AZ 421K (unbuffered) for films above 12 µm; AZ Developer 1:1 where aluminium must not be etched; AZ 340 is also listed
- Dilution
- AZ 400K 1:4 for better selectivity on thinner films, 1:3 for films above 12 µm; AZ Developer 1:1
- Method
- spray or immersion
- Developer family
- Buffered alkaline
Not published for this resist: Time, Rinse — characterize on-tool.
SOURCE: Developing section, p.6, and companion products, p.1, of the AZ P4000 Series technical datasheet, Rev. (08/21)
Hard bake, etch & strip
- Hard bake
- 100–110 °C
- Etch resistance
- 'Excellent substrate adhesion for wet etch applications' (p.1); a 100-110 °C hard bake 'improves adhesion in wet etch or plating applications and improves pattern stability in dry etch processes' (p.6).
- Stripper
- AZ 300T, AZ 400T or AZ Kwik Strip (companion products, p.1).
Not published for this resist: Descum, Storage — characterize on-tool.
SOURCE: Hard bake section, p.6, and dielectric insulator table, p.5, of the AZ P4000 Series technical datasheet, Rev. (08/21)
Where it's used
Practical notes from the datasheet
AZ P4330-RS is the 3-5 µm grade of the P4000 series (127 cSt at 23 °C), Merck's plating-compatible positive resist family. It is the thinnest grade whose normal range crosses the sheet's 4.0 µm rehydration threshold: above 4 µm the film needs 30-60 minutes at 40-45 % RH between soft bake and exposure. The series table gives about 135 mJ/cm² for a 3.5 µm film on a Suss MA-200. Soft bake at 95-115 °C; develop in AZ 400K 1:4 by spray or immersion. A 100-110 °C hard bake improves adhesion in wet-etch and plating applications.
Grades in this family
Other grades in the AZ P4000 Series line differ mainly in coating thickness:
Troubleshooting
Common failure modes for AZ P4330-RS, 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.
Why do my 4.5 µm AZ P4330-RS wafers develop slower than the 3.5 µm ones from the same bottle?
Two things change at once. The thicker film needs more dose: the datasheet's Suss MA-200 table rises from 135 mJ/cm² at 3.5 µm toward 800 mJ/cm² at 12 µm. It also crosses the rehydration threshold: P4000 films thicker than 4.0 µm require a hold between soft bake and exposure, typically 30–60 min depending on thickness, at 40–45 % relative humidity. AZ P4330-RS is rated 3.0–5.0 µm and its spin curve passes 4 µm around 3000 rpm, so slower-spun wafers need the hold that faster-spun ones can do without.
SOURCE: AZ P4000 Series Technical datasheet (Merck, Rev. 08/21) —…
AZ P4000 Series Technical datasheet (Merck, Rev. 08/21) — Thickness Grades, p.1; Typical Spin Curves, p.2; Approximate Exposure Dose Requirement vs Film Thickness (Suss MA-200), p.5; Film Rehydration, p.6
Is AZ P4330-RS safe in my plating bath, and why has the deposition rate dropped?
The P4000 photoactive compound is engineered to prevent poisoning of plating solutions and extend bath life. MicroChemicals adds that AZ resists are stable in common acidic baths as long as no organic solvents are added, while alkaline solutions above about pH 10 attack the mask. A falling deposition rate can be solvent leaching from the film: a typical soft bake leaves roughly 2–4 %, so bake longer or hotter within 95–115 °C. A 100–110 °C hard bake also improves adhesion for plating.
SOURCE: AZ P4000 Series Technical datasheet (Merck, Rev. 08/21) —…
AZ P4000 Series Technical datasheet (Merck, Rev. 08/21) — Application, p.1; Soft Bake and Hard Bake, p.6. MicroChemicals 'Photolithography Trouble Shooter' application note — Electro-Plating: Common Problems, p.16–17
AZ P4330-RS sidewalls show ripples after i-line stepper exposure — how do I smooth them?
Those are standing waves from monochromatic exposure. P4000 does not generally need a post-exposure bake, but the datasheet says one may be used to maximise process latitude and to mitigate standing-wave effects caused by monochromatic exposure. As a general rule it puts the PEB at 100–115 °C, with time and temperature application-specific, so qualify the bake inside that window on your own tool.
SOURCE: AZ P4000 Series Technical datasheet (Merck, Rev. 08/21) — Post Expose Bake, p.6
What soft bake should AZ P4330-RS get on a metal seed layer?
Bake toward the top of the range. The datasheet says temperatures near the high end improve adhesion to most metals, and that thicker films may need a gradually ramped soft bake to avoid bubbling. Its front page gives 90–115 °C and the process section 95–115 °C; staying inside the narrower span satisfies both. Oxide-forming substrates such as Si should be HMDS-primed first, and every surface must be clean, dry and free of organic residue.
SOURCE: AZ P4000 Series Technical datasheet (Merck, Rev. 08/21) — Typical Process, p.1; Substrate Preparation and Soft Bake, p.6
Sources & disclaimer
- Merck KGaA (AZ Electronic Materials) — AZ P4330-RS datasheet (Rev. (08/21)) · accessed 2026-09-10
- https://www.microchemicals.com/dokumente/datenblaetter/tds/merck/en/tds_az_p4620_photoresist.pdf — AZ P4620 Photoresist Data Package, 'Thick Photoresist Product Summary' (p.3): the table lists the 'P4000 Series' row with Platform 'DNQ' — the basis for classifying AZ P4330-RS as dnq-novolak.
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 2026-09-28.