https://nanyte.com/photoresists/kl-5300 · last updated 2026-09-28
- Manufacturer
- KemLab Inc.
- Grades
- KL5315 · KL5310 · KL5305 · KL5302-HiRes1
- Tone
- positive
- Chemistry
- DNQ-novolak
- Thickness
- 0.1–2.5 µm
- Developer
- 0.26N TMAH
- Applications
- General prototyping · 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 |
|---|---|---|
| KL5315 | 1000 | 2.4 |
| 2000 | 1.7 | |
| 3000 | 1.4 | |
| 4000 | 1.2 | |
| 5000 | 1.1 | |
| KL5310 | 1000 | 1.4 |
| 2000 | 0.98 | |
| 3000 | 0.80 | |
| 4000 | 0.70 | |
| 5000 | 0.63 | |
| KL5305 | 1000 | 0.92 |
| 2000 | 0.62 | |
| 3000 | 0.53 | |
| 4000 | 0.47 | |
| 5000 | 0.43 | |
| KL5302-HiRes | 1000 | 0.27 |
| 2000 | 0.19 | |
| 3000 | 0.16 | |
| 4000 | 0.14 | |
| 5000 | 0.13 |
Values are the manufacturer’s starting points, not a guarantee — characterize on your own tool. Series digitized from a published figure are approximate (±10 %).
KL5315: read from figure 3, p.2 of KL 5300 series TDS — identified by legend color (blue = KL5315) on the combined 'KL5300 Spin Curve' chart; the topmost curve, consistent with KL5315 having the largest stated film-thickness range (1.2-2.5 µm).
KL5310: read from figure 3, p.2 of KL 5300 series TDS — identified by legend color (red = KL5310) on the combined 'KL5300 Spin Curve' chart; second curve from top, consistent with the stated 0.7-1.5 µm range.
KL5305: read from figure 3, p.2 of KL 5300 series TDS — identified by legend color (green = KL5305) on the combined 'KL5300 Spin Curve' chart; third curve from top, consistent with the stated 0.4-1.0 µm range.
KL5302-HiRes: read from figure 4, p.2 of KL 5300 series TDS — a dedicated single-curve 'KL5302 HI-RES Spin Curve' chart (purple, unambiguous, no other grade plotted), consistent with the stated 0.15-0.3 µm range.
- Spin curves determined on 6-inch Si with static dispense of ~4 mL of KL5300 photoresist (TDS p.2).
- No spin ramp/accel profile or edge-bead-removal step is published for KL5300.
- Adhesion
- HMDS recommended — HMDS primer recommended with oxide-forming substrates (Si, etc.) for maximum adhesion; KL5300 also adheres to copper, gold, glass, aluminum and chromium (TDS p.1, Substrate Preparation).
Soft bake
- Soft bake
- 105 °C · 60 s · hotplate
- Notes
- The Processing Guidelines table (p.1) gives one softbake for all four grades, 105 °C for 60 s. The Softbake section (p.3) gives the recommended contact-hotplate range as 90-105 °C with a typical bake time of 60 s, so the table value sits at the top of that range.
SOURCE: Processing Guidelines table, p.1 of KL 5300 series TDS; corroborated by Softbake section, p.3.
Exposure dose
Each grade in the family carries its own broadband dose: 30 mJ/cm² for KL5305, 35 for KL5310, 40 for KL5315 and 60 for KL5302-HiRes. No single number covers the family. Run a dose array on your own tool to land the working dose.
- Post-exposure bake
- 115 °C · 60 s
Not published for this resist: Dose at 365 nm, Dose at 405 nm — characterize on-tool.
Development
- Developer
- 0.26N TMAH
- Developer family
- TMAH-based
Not published for this resist: Dilution, Time, Method, Rinse — characterize on-tool.
SOURCE: Processing Guidelines table, p.1, and Development section, p.4 of KL 5300 series TDS
Hard bake, etch & strip
- Hard bake
- 110 °C · 60 s (optional)
- Stripper
- NMP, DMSO or similar solvent-based removers at 50-80°C (TDS p.1/p.4, Resist Removal); thicker films may benefit from a two-bath process — first bath removes bulk resist, second bath cleans thoroughly.
- Storage
- Avoid light; store in an upright airtight container at 4-21°C, away from oxidizers, acids, bases and ignition sources (TDS p.4, Storage).
Not published for this resist: Descum, Etch resistance — characterize on-tool.
SOURCE: Processing Guidelines table, p.1 of KL 5300 series TDS
Where it's used
Practical notes from the datasheet
KL5300 is a series of four grades (KL5315, KL5310, KL5305, KL5302-HiRes) sharing one process family but with distinct spin curves, doses and develop times scaled to their target thickness band, from ~0.15 µm (KL5302-HiRes, high-resolution thin coat) up to 2.5 µm (KL5315). The datasheet's optical characterization (refractive index vs. wavelength, absorbance, i-line/g-line swing curves) is series-wide rather than grade-specific. As with any DNQ-class positive resist family, softbake and PEB times should be re-verified on-tool since the datasheet's single softbake/PEB condition is applied uniformly across grades of very different viscosity and coat thickness. HMDS priming is recommended on oxide-forming substrates; no adhesion promoter step beyond that is specified. The dnq-novolak chemistry entry draws on the KemLab KL5300 MSDS composition table (mixed cresol novolak resin + diazo photoactive compound).
Troubleshooting
Common failure modes for KL 5300 series, 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.
My KL5300 features are lifting off a silicon or oxide wafer during develop — what should I check first?
Surface preparation. KemLab asks for a clean, dry substrate before coating and recommends an HMDS prime on oxide-forming substrates such as Si. That is the only adhesion step the datasheet specifies. It also lists copper, gold, glass, aluminium and chromium among the substrates KL5300 adheres to, but does not say which of those, beyond Si, count as oxide-forming for the HMDS recommendation.
SOURCE: KL5300 Positive Photoresist TDS (KemLab Inc., Rev 1-2022) — Substrate Preparation, p.1
Why does KL5302-HiRes need a higher dose than KL5305 even though it is the thinner coat?
Because that is what the grade table prints, so don't scale the thin grade's dose down from the thicker ones. The processing guidelines give 30 mJ/cm² for KL5305, 35 for KL5310 and 40 for KL5315, but 60 mJ/cm² for KL5302-HiRes, with a 30 s develop in 0.26N TMAH against 20 s for KL5305. The softbake (105 °C, 60 s) and PEB (115 °C, 60 s) are shared across all four grades.
SOURCE: KL5300 Positive Photoresist TDS (KemLab Inc., Rev 1-2022) — Processing Guidelines table, p.1
My KL5300 clearing dose moved after I changed spin speed — is the resist drifting?
More likely thin-film interference. KemLab publishes i-line and g-line swing curves for the series: over roughly 1.1–1.5 µm film thickness the threshold exposure rises and falls periodically instead of climbing steadily with thickness. Changing spin speed moves the film to a different point on that cycle, so re-run a dose check whenever the target thickness changes.
SOURCE: KL5300 Positive Photoresist TDS (KemLab Inc., Rev 1-2022) — Figure 7, i-line and g-line Swing Curves, p.4
KL5300 leaves a film behind after one remover bath on thick coats — how do I strip it cleanly?
Use two baths. The datasheet recommends industry-standard removers such as NMP or DMSO at 50–80 °C and says thicker films may benefit from a two-bath process: the first bath takes off the bulk of the resist and the second bath cleans the surface thoroughly.
SOURCE: KL5300 Positive Photoresist TDS (KemLab Inc., Rev 1-2022) — Resist Removal, p.4; Remover line, p.1
Sources & disclaimer
- KemLab Inc. — KL 5300 series datasheet (Copyright 2022 © KemLab Inc., Rev 1-2022) · accessed 2026-07-10
- https://www.nanofab.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Positive-PhotoResist-%E2%80%93-KL5300-KemLab-27Feb15_v1.pdf — KemLab KL5300 MSDS states 'Mixed cresol novolak resin <25.0%, Diazo Photoactive Compound <4.0%'; the basis for classifying KL5300 as dnq-novolak.
- KL5300 Positive Photoresist TDS, 'PROCESSING GUIDELINES' table (p.1), column headers: KL5315, KL5310, KL5305, KL5302-HiRes, each with its own film-thickness range.
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.