Advanced Semiconductor Nanomaterials Synthesis with Surface Engineering and Synchrotron utilized Optimization for Quantum Dots and Extreme Ultra-violet Resists

Abstract

The AI-driven Fourth Industrial Revolution demands high-performance semiconductor chips, making high-density integration is essential. This trend underscores the critical importance of nanofabrication and the inevitable need for advanced nanomaterial synthesis. While the large surface-to-volume ratio of nanomaterials enhances reactivity, it also makes them highly susceptible to interfacial interactions distinct from bulk properties, often leading to unexpected side effects. Consequently, material optimization at the nanoscale requires rigorous characterization. Given the difficulty of direct observation at the nanoscale, synchrotron-based X-ray analysis has proven highly effective in this regard, offering high signal-to-noise ratios and enabling precise structural identification. This study applied to carbon quantum dots(CQDs) and extreme ultraviolet photoresists among semiconductor nanomaterials. Achieving high purity is essential for optimizing the optoelectronic properties of advanced fluorescent materials. however, conventional purification often struggles with molecular-level isolation and time- intensive protocols. Herein, we report a facile and efficient two-step refinement strategy for CQDs utilizing melamine and (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane(APTES). The procedure exploits hydrogen- bond-mediated precipitation with melamine to isolate CQDs from carboxyl-functionalized byproducts, followed by the selective encapsulation of residual impurities using APTES, as validated by LC-MS/MS analysis. The resulting highly purified CQDs exhibit uniform surface characteristics, which were leveraged to develop a ratiometric fluorescence decay-based photochemical sensor. The transition toward high-aspect-ratio, three-dimensional semiconductor architectures necessitate lithographic materials that simultaneously offer nanoscale resolution and exceptional etch resistance. While extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography enables under sub-5 nm patterning, conventional chemically amplified resists suffer from vulnerable etching resistance at ultra-thin thicknesses, and low sensitivity with loose EUV absorption. To address these challenges, we report a novel single-component photoresist system based on surface-modified oxide nanoparticles. This architecture employs a specific surface coating designed to cleave under exposure, inducing self-aggregation through a PAG-free mechanism. We evaluated the lithographic capabilities using 30 keV EBL, and successfully realizing 50 nm pattern. The purpose of this paper is to develop semiconductor nanomaterials using synchrotron-based X-ray analysis for optimized material composition and structural fabrication. The synthesis of semiconductor nanomaterials has now progressed beyond merely understanding and utilizing material properties to the stage of material design aimed at achieving desired specifications. It is necessary to determine whether the synthesis results reflect the design and to identify the optimal conditions.