@article{Xu2026, 
author = {Yutao Xu and Xingkun Wang and Zhixing Ren and Jianan Xie and Miao Meng and Fanghao Xu and Zhaolei Liang and Muhan Tang and Yazhuo Xie and Zhenjiang Li and Jun Zhao and Renzhong Tai and Feng Luo},
title = {Molecularly deposited titanium–dienediol hybrid photoresists for high-resolution electron-beam and EUV lithography},
year = {2026},
journal = {Nano Research},
keywords = {molecular layer deposition, vapor-phase photoresist, titanium hybrid network, electron-beam lithography, EUV lithography, nanoscale patterning},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/NR.2026.94909246},
doi = {10.26599/NR.2026.94909246},
abstract = {Vapor-phase metal–organic photoresists are promising for nanoscale lithography because they combine solvent-minimized processing, conformal ultrathin-film formation, and inorganic-network-enabled pattern stability. However, the molecular origin of their radiation-induced solubility switching remains insufficiently resolved. Here, we report a molecular-layer-deposited titanium–dienediol hybrid photoresist, Ti–DVG, prepared from a titanium precursor and 1,5-hexadiene-3,4-diol. The hydroxyl groups enable sequential molecular layer deposition, while the terminal alkenes introduce unsaturated carbon environments that undergo irradiation-induced transformation within the Ti–organic network. Ti–DVG exhibits nearly linear growth at ca. 0.10 nm cycle-1, smooth continuous morphology, and a negative-tone response after electron-beam exposure and development. Electron-beam lithography produces continuous 25 nm line/space patterns with line-edge roughness values of 2.347–2.959 nm, while low-contrast limiting features down to approximately 5.2 nm are observed under size-specific exposure conditions, including the use of thinner films for the sub-10 nm tests. EUV interference lithography further resolves dense patterns with half-pitches down to 15–18 nm. Complementary FTIR, background-subtracted outgassing, XPS, repeated-scan XPS, and Raman analyses collectively support ligand transformation, volatile-species evolution, oxygen-environment redistribution, and formation of Ti–O-rich local structures. This work establishes a mechanistically traceable design strategy for vapor-phase hybrid photoresists.}
}