https://nanyte.com/photoresists/ma-n-1420 · last updated 2026-07-26
- Manufacturer
- micro resist technology
- Tone
- negative
- Chemistry
- Bisazide-novolak
- Thickness
- 1.4–3.4 µm
- Exposure dose
- 550 mJ/cm²
- Developer
- ma-D 533/S
- Applications
- Etch mask · Lift-off
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 |
|---|---|---|
| ma-N 1420 | 1000 | 3.4 |
| 2000 | 2.4 | |
| 3000 | 2.0 | |
| 4000 | 1.7 | |
| 5000 | 1.5 | |
| 6000 | 1.4 |
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 Fig. 1 ('Spin curves of the ma-N 1400 series, 30 s spin time'), p.3 (numbered p.2 on the printed page) of micro resist technology's 'Processing guidelines — Negative Tone Photoresist Series ma-N 1400' datasheet (doc code ls.05.11.25.02). The chart is drawn as vector line segments rather than a raster image, so the trace can be read exactly at each gridline. The curve is a continuous line with no point markers, so values are line-crossings read only at the labelled gridlines (every 1000 rpm from 1000 to 6000) — never interpolated between them or extrapolated past the line's plotted range. The 3000 rpm point (1.97 µm) is confirmed by the numeric table on p.1 ('Physical properties of the resist solution': Film Thickness 2.0 ± 0.1 µm, footnoted 'spin coated at 3000 rpm for 30 s').
- Substrates should be free of impurities/moisture, baked at 200°C and cooled immediately before coating (or O2/ozone plasma cleaned); HMDS is advised for adhesion to Si/SiO2.
- No dispense-volume/acceleration/edge-bead protocol is published for ma-N 1400 (unlike some other resist datasheets); equipment used to generate the datasheet's own data: Convac or Suss RC5 spin coater without cover, 3000 rpm / 30 s reference condition.
- Adhesion
- HMDS recommended — HMDS recommended as an adhesion promoter for Si and SiO2 substrates.
Soft bake
- Soft bake
- 100 °C · 2 min · hotplate
- Notes
- 100°C / 120 s is the standard hotplate prebake for the 2.0 µm ma-N 1420 film (thinner grades in the same series use shorter times at the same 100°C: ma-N 1405/1407 = 60 s, ma-N 1410 = 90 s).
SOURCE: ma-N 1400 datasheet
Processing conditions - STANDARD PROCESS table + 'Prebake' section, p.2 and p.3, micro resist technology ma-N 1400 datasheet ls.05.11.25.02
Exposure dose
The manufacturer publishes 550 mJ/cm². Dose scales with film thickness and depends on your optics, so treat it as a starting point and run a dose array.
- As published
- The 2.0 µm standard process takes 550 ± 30 mJ/cm² under a broadband lamp, with the reading taken at 365 nm; the resist absorbs out to about 410 nm but no h-line dose is quoted.
Not published for this resist: Dose at 365 nm, Dose at 405 nm — characterize on-tool.
SOURCE: Processing conditions - STANDARD PROCESS table, p.2, micro resist technology ma-N 1400 datasheet ls.05.11.25.02
Development
- Developer
- ma-D 533/S
- Dilution
- ready-to-use (undiluted)
- Time
- 60 s (50–70 s)
- Method
- immersion
- Rinse
- DI water
- Developer family
- TMAH-based
SOURCE: ma-N 1400 datasheet
Processing conditions - STANDARD PROCESS table, p.2, micro resist technology ma-N 1400 datasheet ls.05.11.25.02. Development time for ma-N 1420 is 60 ± 10 s; developer temperature should be 20–25°C.
Hard bake, etch & strip
- Hard bake
- 100 °C · 30 min
- Descum
- Not published — characterize on-tool
- Etch resistance
- High wet and dry etch resistance (a headline characteristic of the ma-N 1400 series).
- Stripper
- mr-Rem 660 (solvent-based) or ma-R 404/S (strongly alkaline) ready-to-use removers recommended; acetone, N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), or O2 plasma also give residue-free removal.
- Storage
- Store at 18–25°C; do not refrigerate. Store resist and unprocessed films under yellow light, bottle closed when not in use.
SOURCE: 'Hardbake (optional)' section, p.4, micro resist technology ma-N 1400 datasheet ls.05.11.25.02
Where it's used
Practical notes from the datasheet
ma-N 1420 gives a nominal 2.0 ± 0.1 µm film at the reference 3000 rpm / 30 s spin condition. Standard processing (100°C/120s prebake, 550 mJ/cm² dose, 60s develop) yields near-vertical sidewalls. Undercut (lift-off) profiles are produced primarily by INCREASING develop time (the manufacturer's preferred lever) and/or reducing exposure dose, while holding prebake conditions at standard values — the datasheet's own worked example (2.0 µm film, 100°C/120s prebake, 550 mJ/cm² dose) shows undercut of 0.6/0.8/1.7/2.1 µm for ma-D 533/S develop times of 65/80/100/120 s respectively. Raising prebake temperature (up to 160°C) and/or extending prebake time reduces undercut for a given develop time and improves thermal stability for sputtering, but increases the develop time needed. For clean PVD lift-off, resist thickness should be 1.5–2× the metal deposition thickness. Exposure dose must be de-rated for reflective/absorbing substrates (e.g. ~0.5× the Si dose on Au).
Grades in this family
Other grades in the ma-N 1400 series line differ mainly in coating thickness:
| Grade | Thickness | Exposure dose |
|---|---|---|
| ma-N 1410 | 1 µm | 450 mJ/cm² |
| ma-N 1420 (this page) | 1.4–3.4 µm | 550 mJ/cm² |
Troubleshooting
Common failure modes for ma-N 1420, 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.
Which developer does ma-N 1420 use?
ma-D 533/S, a ready-to-use (undiluted) TMAH-based aqueous-alkaline developer. The standard process is 60 ± 10 s by immersion with the developer at 20–25°C, followed by a deionized-water rinse. Extending the develop time is also the manufacturer's preferred lever for producing an undercut lift-off profile.
SOURCE: ma-N 1400 Processing Guidelines
micro resist technology ma-N 1400 Processing Guidelines (ls.05.11.25.02) — STANDARD PROCESS table, p.2; developer family (TMAH) per microresist.de ma-D 533/S page
What is the exposure dose for ma-N 1420?
550 ± 30 mJ/cm² for the standard 2.0 µm ma-N 1420 film, from broadband exposure with intensity measured at 365 nm (i-line). The resist is effective across broadband, i-line and h-line, but no separate 405 nm (h-line) dose value is published — leave it to be characterized on-tool. Dose must be de-rated for reflective substrates, e.g. roughly 0.5× the silicon dose on gold.
SOURCE: micro resist technology ma-N 1400 Processing Guidelines (ls.05.11.25.02) — STANDARD PROCESS table + footnote 1, p.2
Does ma-N 1420 need a post-exposure bake?
No — the datasheet specifies no post-exposure bake step. That is consistent with a classical bisazide-crosslinking negative resist, which cross-links directly on exposure rather than through an acid-catalyzed post-bake reaction as in chemically amplified resists.
SOURCE: ma-N 1400 Processing Guidelines
micro resist technology ma-N 1400 Processing Guidelines (ls.05.11.25.02) — no PEB step in the STANDARD PROCESS sequence, p.2
Does ma-N 1420 need HMDS or adhesion promotion?
Yes for Si and SiO2 — HMDS is advised as an adhesion promoter. Substrates should be free of impurities and moisture, baked at 200°C and cooled to room temperature immediately before coating; an oxygen or ozone plasma clean is an accepted alternative.
SOURCE: micro resist technology ma-N 1400 Processing Guidelines (ls.05.11.25.02) — Substrate preparation, p.2
How do I get an undercut profile for lift-off with ma-N 1420?
Increase the develop time — the manufacturer's preferred lever — while holding prebake and dose at standard values. The datasheet's worked example (2.0 µm film, 100°C/120 s prebake, 550 mJ/cm²) gives undercut of 0.6 / 0.8 / 1.7 / 2.1 µm for ma-D 533/S develop times of 65 / 80 / 100 / 120 s. Raising prebake temperature (up to 160°C) reduces undercut for a given develop time. For clean PVD lift-off, keep resist thickness 1.5–2× the metal thickness.
SOURCE: micro resist technology ma-N 1400 Processing Guidelines (ls.05.11.25.02) — LIFT-OFF section worked example, p.4
Sources & disclaimer
- micro resist technology — ma-N 1420 datasheet (micro resist technology 'Processing guidelines — Negative Tone Photoresist Series ma-N 1400', document code ls.05.11.25.02 (no separate calendar date printed on the document; also mirrored as vh_man_1400_en_05112502_ls.pdf)) · accessed 2026-07-10
- https://www.microresist.de/en/produkt/ma-d-533-s/ — used only to confirm that the ma-D 533/S developer is TMAH-based (the primary ma-N 1400 datasheet only says 'aqueous alkaline development' without naming the base) — used to classify the developer family, not as a source for any numeric process parameter
- Thoen et al.. Combined ultraviolet- and electron-beam lithography with Micro-Resist-Technology GmbH ma-N1400 resist. Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B (2022). doi:10.1116/6.0001918one ma-N 1400 layer exposed by UV and 100 kV e-beam for an on-chip THz spectrometer
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.