https://nanyte.com/photoresists/az-p4400 · last updated 2026-09-13
- Manufacturer
- Merck KGaA (AZ Electronic Materials)
- Tone
- positive
- Thickness
- 4–6 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 P4400 | 1000 | 8.5 | — |
| 1500 | 7.0 | — | |
| 2000 | 6.0 | — | |
| 2500 | 5.5 | — | |
| 3000 | 5.0 | — | |
| 3500 | 4.6 | — | |
| 4000 | 4.4 | — | |
| 4500 | 4.0 | — | |
| 5000 | 3.9 | — |
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 blue square markers legended 'P4400' 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. Marker centres located against the 1 µm gridlines of the embedded chart image; treat each value as a figure read of about ±5 %.
- The highest trace on the chart, from about 8.5 µm at 1000 rpm to 3.9 µm at 5000 rpm; the rated 4.0-6.0 µm lands between roughly 2000 and 4500 rpm.
- The 1000 and 1500 rpm points sit above the 7.0 µm limit the sheet gives for spinning to equilibrium, so treat them as less repeatable than the rest.
- 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.
- 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).
Soft bake
- Soft bake
- 95–115 °C
- Notes
- No time is published for this grade.
SOURCE: Soft bake section, p.6, and typical process box, p.1, of the AZ P4000 Series technical datasheet, Rev. (08/21)
Exposure dose
AZ P4400'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 P4400 by name.
| 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 P4400 is the 4-6 µm grade of the P4000 series (184 cSt at 23 °C), the thickest one charted on the sheet's spin curve and the last one below the thick-film AZ P4620. Almost its whole curve sits above the sheet's 4.0 µm rehydration threshold — only the fastest spin, about 3.9 µm at 5000 rpm, falls below it — so plan a 30-60 minute hold at 40-45 % RH between soft bake and exposure. The series dose table has no row at this thickness — 135 mJ/cm² at 3.5 µm and 800 mJ/cm² at 12 µm bracket it widely — so run a dose matrix. Soft bake at 95-115 °C, ramping up for the thicker end to avoid solvent bubbles; develop in AZ 400K 1:4 by spray or immersion. The plating-safe photoactive compound is the reason to choose this family for moulds of this height.
Grades in this family
Other grades in the AZ P4000 Series line differ mainly in coating thickness:
| Grade | Thickness |
|---|---|
| AZ P4110 | 1–3 µm |
| AZ P4210 | 2–4 µm |
| AZ P4330-RS | 3–5 µm |
| AZ P4400 (this page) | 4–6 µm |
| AZ P4620 | 6.9–14.8 µm |
| AZ P4903 | 10–30 µm |
Sources & disclaimer
- Merck KGaA (AZ Electronic Materials) — AZ P4400 datasheet (Rev. (08/21)) · accessed 2026-09-10
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 2026-09-13.