Abstract: Disclosed herein are a top anti-reflective coating polymer used in a photolithography process, which is one of the fabrication processes for a semiconductor device, a method for preparing the anti-reflective coating polymer, and an anti-reflective coating composition comprising the anti-reflective coating polymer. Specifically, the top anti-reflective coating polymer is used in immersion lithography for the fabrication of a sub-50 nm semiconductor device. The top anti-reflective coating polymer is represented by Formula 1 below: wherein R1, R2 and R3 are independently hydrogen or a methyl group; and a, b and c represent the mole fraction of each monomer, and are in the range between about 0.05 and about 0.9. Since a top anti-reflective coating formed using the above anti-reflective coating polymer is not soluble in water, it can be applied to immersion lithography using water as the medium for a light source.

Abstract: Anti-reflective compositions and methods of using these compositions to form circuits are provided. The compositions comprise a polymer dissolved or dispersed in a solvent system. In a preferred embodiment the polymers of the composition include recurring monomers having the formulas where: (1) each R is individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, —OH, aliphatics, and phenyls; and (2) L is selected from the group consisting of —SO2— and —CR?2—, where each R? is individually selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, aliphatics, phenyls, and —CX3, where each X is individually selected from the group consisting of the halogens. The resulting compositions are spin bowl compatible (i.e., they do not crosslink prior to the bake stages of the microlithographic processes or during storage at room temperature), are wet developable, and have superior optical properties.

Abstract: A positive-tone radiation-sensitive resin composition comprising: (A) a carbazole derivative shown by the following formula (1), (B) a photoacid generator containing a sulfonimide compound and an iodonium salt compound as essential components, and (C) an acid-dissociable group-containing resin which is insoluble or scarcely soluble in alkali, but becomes soluble in alkali when the acid-dissociable group dissociates is disclosed. wherein R1 and R2 are individually halogen atom, methyl, cyano, or nitro group, X is a C1-20 organic group, and h and i are 0-4. The resin composition is useful as a chemically amplified positive-tone resist excelling in focal depth allowance, sensitivity, resolution, pattern profile, and PED stability.

Abstract: Resist compositions comprising nitrogen-containing organic compounds having a benzimidazole structure and a specific ether chain moiety have an excellent resolution, form precisely configured patterns with minimized roughness of sidewalls and are useful in microfabrication using electron beams or deep-UV light.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a photoresist composition suitable for image-wise exposure and development as a negative photoresist comprising a negative photoresist composition and an inorganic particle material having an average particle size equal or greater than 10 nanometers, wherein the thickness of the photoresist coating film is greater than 5 microns. The negative photoresist composition is selected from (1) a composition comprising (i) a resin binder, (ii) a photoacid generator, and (iii) a cross-linking agent; or (2) a composition comprising (i) a resin binder, (ii) optionally, addition-polymerizeable, ethylenically unsaturated compound(s) and (iii) a photoinitiator; or (3) a composition comprising (i) a photopolymerizable compound containing at least two pendant unsaturated groups; (ii) ethylenically unsaturated photopolymerizable polyalkylene oxide hydrophilic compound(s); and (iii) a photoinitiator.

Abstract: Provided are new resins that comprise carbocyclic aryl units with hetero substitution units and photoresists that contain such resins. Particularly preferred photoresists of the invention comprise a deblocking resin that contains hydroxy naphthyl units and can be effectively imaged with sub-200 nm radiation such as 193 nm radiation.

Abstract: There is provided an underlayer coating forming composition for lithography, and an underlayer coating having a high dry etching rate compared with photoresist, and causing no intermixing with the photoresist, which are used in lithography process of manufacture of semiconductor device. Concretely, it is an underlayer coating forming composition comprising a compound having a protected carboxyl group, a compound having a group capable of reacting with a carboxyl group and a solvent, and an underlayer coating forming composition comprising a compound having a group capable of reacting with a carboxyl group and a protected carboxyl group and a solvent.

Abstract: The invention includes new polymers and methods for providing such polymers and photoresists that comprises the polymers. Methods of the invention include those that comprise providing a reaction mixture and adding over the course of a polymerization reaction one or more polymerization reagents to the reaction mixture to provide the polymer. Photoresists containing a polymer of the invention can exhibit significantly improved lithographic properties.

Abstract: The present invention provides a chemical amplification type positive resist composition comprising (A) a resin which comprises (i) 5 to 50% by mol of a structural unit of the formula (I), (ii) 5 to 50% by mol of a structural unit of the formula (II) and (iii) 5 to 50% by mol of at least one selected from the group consisting of structural units of the formulas (III) and (IV), and (B) an acid generator. The present composition is suitable for excimer laser lithography using ArF, KrF and the like, and shows various outstanding resist abilities, specifically, gives better effective sensitivity and resolution to resist patterns obtained therefrom, and gives particularly excellent pattern shape and excellent line edge roughness.

Abstract: A chemically amplified radiation-sensitive resin composition comprising a specific copolymer and a photoacid generator, wherein the copolymer contains the following recurring unit (1) and/or the recurring unit (2), and the recurring unit (3-1), wherein R1 is a hydrogen or methyl, R2 is a C4-10 tertiary alkyl, R3 and R4 are a hydrogen, C1-12 alkyl, C6-15 aromatic, C1-12 alkoxyl, or R3 and R4 may form, in combination and together with the nitrogen atom with which the R3 and R4 groups bond, a C3-15 cyclic structure, provided that R3 and R4 are not a hydrogen atom at the same time. The composition effectively responds to various radiations, exhibits excellent resolution and pattern configuration and minimal iso-dense bias, and can form fine patterns at a high precision and in a stable manner.

Abstract: A positive photoresist composition containing: (A) a resin which contains at least one of a repeating unit represented by the formula (IA) defiend herein and a repeating unit represented by the formula (IB) defined herein, and is decomposed by an action of an acid and shows an increase in a solubility in an alkali developer; and (B) as compounds capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with one of an actinic ray and a radiation, at least two compounds selected from the compounds (B1), (B2), (B3) and (B4) as defiend herein.

Abstract: There are here disclosed a photoresist material for lithography using a light of 220 nm or less which comprises at least a polymer represented by the following formula (2) and a photo-acid generator for generating an acid by exposure: wherein R1, R2, R3 and R5 are each a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R4 is an acid-labile group, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 7 to 13 carbon atoms, which has an acid labile group, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 7 to 13 carbon atoms, which has a carboxyl group, or a hydrocarbon group having 3 to 13 carbon atoms, which has an epoxy group; R6 is a hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, or an alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 7 to 13 carbon atoms, which has a carboxyl group; x, y and z are optional values which meet x+y+z=1, 0<x?1, 0?y<1 and 0?z<1; and a weight-average molecular weight of the polymer is in the range of 2000 to 200000, and a resin having a (meth)acrylate unit of an alicyclic lactone structure represented by the

Abstract: The present invention provides new light absorbing compositions suitable for use as an antireflective coating (“ARC”) with an overcoated resist layer. ARCs of the invention exhibit increased etch rates in standard plasma etchants. Preferred ARCs of invention have significantly increased oxygen content relative to prior compositions.

Abstract: A copolymer expressed by the following structural formula was obtained by loading adamantyl methacrylate monomer and t-butyl acrylate monomer by 1:1, then conducting polymerization, adding AIBN as a polymerization initiator, and then conducting precipitation purification with methanol. Then to the copolymer, triphenylsulfonium hexafluoroantimonate was added to prepare a cyclohexanone solution. This solution was applied to a wafer, and exposed to a KrF excimer stepper and developed. The threshold energy Eth was 50 mJ/cm2. A 0.45 ?m-wide L & S was formed at 130 mJ/cm2. The radiation sensitive material has good transparency and etching resistance, high sensitivity, and little peeling.

Abstract: A chemically amplified positive photoresist composition for thick film that is used for forming a thick-film photoresist layer with a film thickness of 10 to 150 ?m on top of a support, comprising (A) a compound that generates acid on irradiation with active light or radiation, (B) a resin that displays increased alkali solubility under the action of acid, and (C) an alkali-soluble resin, wherein the component (B) comprises a resin formed from a copolymer containing a structural unit (b1) with a specific structure.

Abstract: A positive resist composition satisfying all of high sensitivity, high resolution, good pattern profile, good line edge roughness and good in-vacuum PED characteristics, is provided, the positive resist composition comprising: (A) a resin containing a repeating unit having a specific styrene skeleton, which is insoluble or hardly soluble in an alkali developer and becomes soluble in an alkali developer under the action of an acid; (B) a compound capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with actinic rays or radiation; and (C) an organic basic compound, and a pattern formation method using the positive resist composition.

Abstract: A polymer having ?,? unsaturated groups and a group that generates a free radical when exposed to actinic radiation. The polymer may be self-cross-linking.

Abstract: A radiation-sensitive resin composition comprising (A) a resin comprising at least two recurring units of the formulas (1)–(6) in the total amount of 5–70 mol %, but each in the amount of 1–49 mol %, the resin being insoluble or scarcely soluble in alkali, but becoming easily soluble in alkali by the action of an acid, and (B) a photoacid generator. wherein R1 is a hydrogen or methyl and R2 is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1–4 carbon atoms. The resin composition is useful as a chemically amplified resist having high transmittance of radiation, sensitivity, resolution, dry etching resistance, and pattern profile.

Abstract: A positive resist composition comprises: (A) a resin capable of decomposing by the action of an acid to increase the solubility in an alkali developer; and (B) a compound capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with one of an actinic ray and a radiation, wherein the resin (A) contains a specified repeating unit.

Abstract: A polymer comprising recurring units of (1a) or (1b) wherein R1 is an acid labile group, adhesive group or fluoroalkyl, R2 is H, F, alkyl or fluoroalkyl, R3 and R4 each are a single bond, alkylene or fluoroalkylene, R5 is H or an acid labile group, “a” is 1 or 2, 0<U11<1 and 0<U12<1 and having a Mw of 1,000–500,000 is used as a base resin to formulate a resist composition which is sensitive to high-energy radiation, maintains high transparency at a wavelength of up to 200 nm, and has improved alkali dissolution contrast and plasma etching resistance.