<div dir="ltr">Hi Franklin,<div><br></div><div>This has been an ongoing issue lately, and has come up for discussion in the Labnetwork before; see <a href="https://mtl.mit.edu/pipermail/labnetwork/2019-September/003867.html" target="_blank">here</a> for my response to the thread at that time.</div><div><br></div><div>In brief, at our centre we have switched from Dow Corning XR-1541 to a dry HSQ powder ("AQM SiOx") from <a href="https://www.aqmaterials.com/aqm-silsesquioxane-polymers" target="_blank">Applied Quantum Materials</a>, which has benefits of a much longer shelf life (while dry), and allows you to mix it with MIBK to the required concentration as needed, avoiding the problem of purchasing several concentrations which are not used up by their expiry date. It is made locally (in Edmonton, Canada), but is distributed internationally, and we have had no problems with procurement. The only point I would add to my post linked above is that it is important to use MIBK which is as anhydrous as possible, to ensure the solution does not turn into a gel. <span class="gmail-il">AQM</span> recommends using <a href="https://www.fishersci.com/shop/products/methyl-isobutyl-ketone-exceeds-a-c-s-specifications-hplc-grade-99-spectrum-2/18611704" target="_blank">HPLC grade MIBK</a> to mix with their <span class="gmail-il">HSQ</span> powders; this is what they supply with their <span class="gmail-il">HSQ</span> powders if sold as a <span class="gmail-il">HSQ</span> + MIBK kit.</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers, </div><div><br></div><div> – Aaron</div><div><br></div><div><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><u style="font-size:x-small"> </u><span style="font-size:x-small"> </span><br></div><div><span style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"><font size="1"><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Arial;white-space:pre-wrap;line-height:1.38;background-color:transparent">Aaron Hryciw, PhD, PEng</span></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Arial;white-space:pre-wrap;line-height:1.38;background-color:transparent">Fabrication Group Manager</span><br></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">University of Alberta - nanoFAB</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">W1-060 ECERF Building</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">9107 - 116 Street</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Edmonton, Alberta</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Canada T6G 2V4 </span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Ph: 780-940-7938</span></p><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"><a href="http://www.nanofab.ualberta.ca/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">www.nanofab.ualberta.ca</a></span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> </span></font></span><font color="#000000"><br></font><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Tue, Sep 8, 2020 at 5:38 PM Franklin Monzon <<a href="mailto:fm@fmconsultingresearch.com" target="_blank">fm@fmconsultingresearch.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div>Hi All,</div>
<div> </div>
<div>We at HRL are having enormous difficulty with procurement of ebeam resist from Dow, and I wonder if anyone else is having this problem. Specifically, we are trying to acquire XR-1541. We use 2%, 4%, and 6% formulations but are having special problems with 2%.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Lead times have increased generally in 2020 (perhaps for some good reasons!), but the distributors we work with now cannot even get a firm timeline from Dow. We told them we are willing to order larger quantities than usual but have been informed that that won't help.</div>
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<div>The shortage is starting to cause delays on key government programs, so I'd very much appreciate any insight from this group.</div>
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<div>Thanks for your advice!</div>
<div>FM</div>
<div>*********************************</div>
<div>Franklin Monzon</div>
<div>Director, Microfabrication Technology Laboratory</div>
<div>HRL Laboratories</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
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