Abstract: Non-linear metallic thermal resist structure having more than two layers of different metals and effective eutectic temperature that is lower than eutectic temperature of a reference non-linear metallic thermal resist having only two layer of same different metals. Optionally, at least one the layers of such resist structure is doped with material different from host metals and/or deposited under conditions resulting in strain or stress in a layer at hand. Method of multi-exposure-based patterning of a substrate carrying such structure with laser pulses characterized by irradiance at levels equal to or below 10 mJ/cm2. The sequence of steps producing the required pattern on the substrate may be explicitly lacking a step of removal of a portion of the resist structure between two consecutive exposures.

Abstract: A monomer for a hardmask composition, a hardmask composition, and a method of forming patterns, the monomer being represented by the following Chemical Formula 1:

Abstract: A resist composition which generates acid upon exposure and exhibits changed solubility in a developing solution under action of acid, and which includes a base component which exhibits changed solubility in a developing solution under action of acid and an acid-generator component including a compound (B0-1) represented by general formula (b0) shown below in which Ra1 represents an aromatic ring; Ra01 represents an alkyl group of 5 or more carbon atoms optionally having a substituent; Ra02 and Ra03 each independently represents an alkyl group of 1 to 10 carbon atoms optionally having a substituent; n1 represents an integer of 1 to 5; n2 represents an integer of 0 to 2; n3 represents an integer of 0 to 4; and X? represents a counteranion.

Abstract: A resist composition which generates acid upon exposure and exhibits changed solubility in a developing solution under action of acid, and which includes a base component (A) which exhibits changed solubility in a developing solution under action of acid and an acid-generator component (B) which generates acid upon exposure, the acid-generator component (B) including a compound (B0-1) represented by general formula (b0) shown below (in the formula, Yx01 represents a divalent linking group; n represents an integer of 1 to 3; and M?m+ represents an organic cation having a valency of m.

Abstract: The present invention relates to complex security elements based on recording materials for optical elements with refractive index modulation, in particular, holograms, which are subsequently coated with specific metallic nano-shaped metal particles, a method for their manufacture, in particular on a paper or on a plastic substrate and a security product obtainable using the security element. A further aspect of the invention is the use of such a security element for the prevention of counterfeit or reproduction of a document of value.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a security document and/or document of value with a hologram in a visually changeable window as a novel security element, and also to a method for producing the same.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and apparatus useful in the nanopatterning of large area substrates, where a rotatable mask is used to image a radiation-sensitive material. Typically the rotatable mask comprises a cylinder. The nanopatterning technique makes use of Near-Field photolithography, where the mask used to pattern the substrate is in contact or close proximity with the substrate. The Near-Field photolithography may make use of an elastomeric phase-shifting mask, or may employ surface plasmon technology, where a rotating cylinder surface comprises metal nano holes or nanoparticles.

Abstract: A resist composition has a resin which includes a structural unit having an acid-labile group, an acid generator, and a non-ionic compound having a group represented by the formula (a) and having no unsaturated bond: wherein Xa and Xb each independently represent an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom, X1 represents a divalent C1 to C12 saturated hydrocarbon group having a fluorine atom or a C1 to C6 fluorinated alkyl group, and * represents a binding site.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for producing a volume object by lithography, comprising a projection of the projection image onto a plane to be illuminated of the layer of material, which involves: moving the mask in a movement having a component along an oblique axis forming an angle with the plane to be illuminated, and transforming a movement of the mask having a component along the oblique axis forming the angle with the plane to be illuminated into a displacement of the projection image on the plane to be illuminated along the first direction of the displacement contained in the plane to be illuminated by means of a mirror that reflects the projection image coming from the mask towards the plane to be illuminated.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ultraviolet absorber containing a compound represented by the formula (A-1), wherein R represents a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group, or an allyl group, and R1, R2, R3, and R4 may be the same or different, and each represent a hydrogen atom, a benzoyl group, a toluoyl group, a naphthoyl group, or an anthranoyl group. By adding the ultraviolet absorber to a composition for forming a resist under layer film, reflection can be suppressed particularly in lithography process by an ultraviolet laser, and a pattern profile can be improved without adverse effects on dry etching mask properties and adhesiveness to a resist pattern.

Abstract: Described herein is a new holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (HPDLC) medium with broadband reflective properties, and a new technique for fabrication of broadband HPDLC mediums. The new technique involves dynamic variation of the holography setup during HPDLC formation, enabling the broadening of the HPDLC medium's wavelength response. Dynamic variation of the holography setup may include the rotation and/or translation of one or more motorized stages, allowing for time and spatial, or angular, multiplexing through variation of the incident angles of one or more laser beams on a pre-polymer mixture during manufacture. An HPDLC medium manufactured using these techniques exhibits improved optical response by reflecting a broadband spectrum of wavelengths. A new broadband holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal thin film polymeric mirror stack with electrically-switchable beam steering capability is disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosure herein describes methods for Photosensitized Chemically Amplified Resist Chemicals (PS-CAR) to pattern light sensitive films on a semiconductor substrate. In one embodiment, a two-step exposure process may generate higher acid concentration regions within a photoresist layer. The PS-CAR chemicals may include photoacid generators (PAGs) and photosensitizer elements that enhance the decomposition of the PAGs into acid. The first exposure may be a patterned EUV exposure that generates an initial amount of acid and photosensitizer. The second exposure may be a non-EUV flood exposure that excites the photosensitizer which increases the acid generation rate where the photosensitizer is located on the substrate. The distribution of energy during the exposures may be optimized by using certain characteristics (e.g., thickness, index of refraction, doping) of the photoresist layer, an underlying layer, and/or an overlying layer.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a liquid crystal polymer film includes providing a support substrate having a surface having a shape arranged to define a form of a liquid crystal polymer film to be fabricated; applying a layer of a photoaligning material over the surface of the support substrate, the photoaligning material having an absorption band; exposing the layer of photoaligning material to a light having a linear polarization and the light comprising a wavelength within the absorption band to convert the layer of photoaligning material into a layer of photoaligned material; applying a layer of a polymerizable liquid crystal over the layer of photoaligned material; performing photopolymerization of the layer of polymerizable liquid crystal to form a liquid crystal polymer film; applying a solvent to the layer of photoaligned material, the solvent formulated to dissolve the photoaligned material to thereby release the liquid crystal polymer film from the support substrate; and removing the liquid crystal polymer

Abstract: A pattern-forming method includes providing a resist underlayer film on a substrate using a resist underlayer film-forming composition. The resist underlayer film-forming composition includes a first polymer having a glass transition temperature of 0 to 180° C. A silicon-based oxide film is provided on a surface of the resist underlayer film. A resist pattern is provided on a surface of the silicon-based oxide film using a resist composition. The silicon-based oxide film and the resist underlayer film are sequentially dry-etched using the resist pattern as a mask. The substrate is dry-etched using the dry-etched resist underlayer film as a mask.

Abstract: A polymer includes repeat units, most of which are photoacid-generating repeat units. Each of the photoacid-generating repeat units includes photoacid-generating functionality and base-solubility-enhancing functionality. Each of the photoacid-generating repeat units comprises an anion and a photoacid-generating cation that collectively have structure (I) wherein q, r, R1, m, X, and Z? are defined herein. The polymer is useful as a component of a photoresist composition that further includes a second polymer that exhibits a change in solubility in an alkali developer under action of acid.

Abstract: The present invention relates to: a resin composition for forming an optical waveguide, containing (A) a polymer having a hydroxyl group and/or a carboxyl group, (B) a (meth)acrylate having a urethane bond, (C) a polyfunctional blocked isocyanate compound, and (D) a radical polymerization initiator; a resin film for forming an optical waveguide, containing the resin composition for forming an optical waveguide; and an optical waveguide containing a lower cladding layer, a core part and an upper cladding layer, at least one of which contains the resin composition for forming an optical waveguide or the resin film for forming an optical waveguide.

Abstract: A method for preparing a color laser marked article using three infrared lasers L-1, L-2 and L-3 having respectively a laser emission wavelength of ?(L-1), ?(L-2) and ?(L-3) includes the steps of laser marking with the infrared laser L-1 a first color laser markable layer including an infrared dye IR-1 having an absorption maximum in the infrared region ?max(IR-1); laser marking with the infrared laser L-2 a second color laser markable layer including an infrared dye IR-2 having an absorption maximum in the infrared region ?max(IR-2); laser marking with the infrared laser L-3 a third color laser markable layer including an infrared dye IR-3 having an absorption maximum in the infrared region ?max(IR-3); and at least partially exposing the color laser markable article to light having a wavelength between 520 nm and 700 nm, wherein, the laser emission wavelengths satisfy the condition of: ?(L-1)>?(L-2)>?(L-3); the infrared red dye absorption maxima satisfy the condition of: ?max(IR-1)>?max(IR-2)>?ma

Abstract: Technologies are generally described for a photoresist and methods and systems effective to form a pattern in a photoresist on a substrate. In some examples, the photoresist includes a resin, a photoinitiator and a photoinhibitor. The photoinitiator may be effective to generate a first reactant upon the absorption of at least one photon of a particular wavelength of light. The first reactant may be effective to render the resin soluble or insoluble in a photoresist developer. The photoinhibitor may be effective to generate a second reactant upon the absorption of at least one photon of the particular wavelength of light. The second reactant may be effective to inhibit the first reactant.

Abstract: A production process for an optically shaped product, including applying a photosensitive resin composition in a form of a dry film on to a substrate in which a hole opening to a surface thereof is formed so as to cover the hole and performing patterning to form an optically shaped product, wherein the photosensitive resin composition contains a resin comprising a tri- or higher functional epoxy resin and a bifunctional epoxy resin, the bifunctional epoxy resin has a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 5,500 to 60,000, the resin has a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) ranging from 4,500 to 11,000, and the mixing ratio by mass between the tri- or higher functional epoxy resin and the bifunctional epoxy resin satisfies (b)/(a)?1.5, where (a) is the mass of the tri- or higher functional epoxy resin, and (b) is the mass of the bifunctional epoxy resin.

Abstract: A novel compound having satisfactory sensitivity (base generating performance), a photosensitive resin composition containing the compound as a photo-initiator, and a cured product of the composition are provided. Specifically, a compound represented by general formula (1) (compound (1)), a photosensitive resin composition containing (A) a photo-initiator including at least one compound (1) and (B) a photosensitive resin are provided. Preferred are the compound (1) in which R1 is an unsubstituted or substituted C6-C20 aromatic hydrocarbon group, the compound (1) in which at least one of R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, and R11 is nitro, and the compound (1) in which n is 0. The symbols in general formula (1) are as defined in the description.