Abstract: A composition for forming a radiation absorbing coating which comprises an organic solvent, a radiation absorbing polymer or a radiation absorbing material dissolved therein and a crosslinking agent having blocked isocyanate groups. Since the isocyanate groups of the crosslinking agent have been blocked, the composition containing the crosslinking agent has excellent storage stability. When the composition applied to a substrate and then baked, crosslinking proceeds to give an antireflective coating, which does not intermix with a resist layer to be formed thereon by coating and is free from diffusion of a photo-generated acid thereinto from the resist layer. As a result, a resist image free from footing or scum can be formed.

Abstract: A photosensitive polymer including fluorine, a resist composition containing the same and a patterning method for IC fabrication using the resist composition are provided. The photosensitive polymer having at least one selected from the group consisting of fluorine-substituted or unsubstituted alkyl ester, tetrahydropyranyl ester, tetrahydrofuranyl ester, nitrile, amide, carbonyl and hexafluoro alkyl having a hydrophilic group, and a trifluorovinyl derivative monomer as a repeating unit and having a weight average molecular weight of about 3,000 to about 100,000. The photosensitive polymer exhibits high transmittance for a light source of F2 (157 nm), high dry etching resistance, and has characteristics suitable to realize an unitrafine pattern size.

Abstract: The present invention employs a polymer material exhibiting a low absorbance in the wavelength range of a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light to allow the improved ultra-fine process to be realized. In an exposure method for selectively exposing a resist layer to an ultraviolet light to pattern the resist layer into a predetermined shape, a polymer material, to which a cyclopentane group is introduced, is used as a polymer material constituting the resist layer, wherein at least one hydrogen atom of the introduced cyclopentane group is substituted by at least one selected from the group consisting of a fluorine atom, a trifluoromethyl group and a difluoromethylene group.

Abstract: Although use of a nitrogen-containing compound as a basic compound component of a resist composition makes it possible to ease the T-top problem at an acid dissociation constant pKa falling within a range of 2 to 6, it is accompanied with the problem that the reaction, that is, acid diffusion upon use of a highly-reactive acid-labile group cannot be controlled. In order to overcome this problem, one or more basic compounds selected from those represented by the following formulas (I) to (III) and (1) to (4) are employed.

Abstract: A negative type resist composition comprising: (A1) a compound generating a sulfonic acid upon irradiation with actinic rays or a radiation and having the specific formula, (A2) a compound generating a sulfonic acid upon irradiation with actinic rays or a radiation and having the specific structure, (B) an alkali-soluble resin, and (C) a crosslinking agent capable of carrying out an addition reaction with the alkali-soluble resin which is the component (B) by the action of an acid.

Abstract: Disclosed is a chemical-amplification negative-working photoresist composition used for photolithographic patterning in the manufacture of semiconductor devices suitable for patterning light-exposure to ArF excimer laser beams and capable of giving a high-resolution patterned resist layer free from swelling and having an orthogonal cross sectional profile by alkali-development. The characteristic ingredient of the composition is the resinous compound which has two types of functional groups, e.g., hydroxyalkyl groups and carboxyl or carboxylate ester groups, capable of reacting each with the other to form intramolecular and/or intermolecular ester linkages in the presence of an acid released from the radiation-sensitive acid generating agent to cause insolubilization of the resinous ingredient in an aqueous alkaline developer solution.

Abstract: The photosensitive polymer includes a first monomer which is norbornene ester having C1 to C12 aliphatic alcohol as a substituent, and a second monomer which is maleic anhydride. A chemically amplified photoresist composition, containing the photosensitive polymer, has an improved etching resistance and adhesion to underlying layer materials, and exhibits wettability to developing solutions.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel positive-working chemical-amplification photoresist composition capable of giving an extremely finely patterned resist layer in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices. The photoresist composition comprises: (A) 100 parts by weight of a copolymeric resin consisting of from 50 to 85% by moles of (a) hydroxyl group-containing styrene units, from 15 to 35% by moles of (b) styrene units and from 2 to 20% by moles of (c) acrylate or methacrylate ester units each having a solubility-reducing group capable of being eliminated in the presence of an acid; and (B) from 1 to 20 parts by weight of a radiation-sensitive acid-generating agent which is an onium salt containing a fluoroalkyl sulfonate ion having 3 to 10 carbon atoms as the anion such as bis(4-tert-butylphenyl) iodonium nonafluorobutane sulfonate.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a chemically amplified resist composition comprising: a resin which becomes soluble in an aqueous alkali solution in the presence of an acid, a photo acid generator, and an amine derivative which shows, in water of 25° C., such a basicity as to form a conjugate acid and has a medium polarity. The amine derivative acts as a quencher. Therefore, the chemically amplified resist composition of the present invention enables formation of a very precise and fine resist pattern and can be suitably used particularly in a lithography using an ArF excimer laser beam.

Abstract: Antireflective compositions are provided that contain an ionic thermal acid generator material. Use of such a thermal acid generator material can significantly increase the shelf life of solutions of antireflective compositions in protic media. Antireflective compositions of the invention can be effectively used at a variety of wavelengths used to expose an overcoated photoresist layer, including 248 nm and 193 nm.

Abstract: Fluorinated polymers, photoresists and associated processes for microlithography are described. These polymers and photoresists are comprised of esters derived from fluoroalcohol functional groups that simultaneously impart high ultraviolet (UV) transparency and developability in basic media to these materials. The materials of this invention have high UV transparency, particularly at short wavelengths, e.g., 157 nm, which makes them highly useful for lithography at these short wavelengths.

Abstract: An exposure method comprising a step of subjecting a resist layer to selective exposure to an ultraviolet light and forming a predetermined pattern in the resist layer, wherein a polymer material having introduced thereinto a cyclohexane group is used as a polymer material constituting the resist layer wherein all hydrogen atoms bonded to four continuously adjacent carbon atoms in the cyclohexane group are substituted by fluorine atoms. The use of a polymer material having a lowered absorption in the wavelength range of a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light in the resist material or resist layer enables a more improved ultra-fine processing than before.

Abstract: Polymers comprising recurring units of cycloolefin having fluorinated alkyl introduced therein are novel and have transparency and alkali solubility. Using the polymers, resist compositions featuring low absorption of F2 excimer laser light are obtained.

Abstract: A resist composition comprising as the base resin a blend of a fluorinated polymer which is sensitive to high-energy radiation and highly transparent at a wavelength of up to 200 nm and a sulfonate-containing polymer exhibiting a high contrast upon alkali dissolution is improved in transparency and alkali dissolution contrast as well as plasma etching resistance.

Abstract: There is disclosed a composition comprising a mixture of endo- and exo-2-(bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-yl)-2,2-fluoroalkyl-ethan-2-ol which is rich in the exo isomer, preferably the endo/exo concentration ratio is no greater than 5/95. The composition is useful for forming a repeat unit of a polymer which polymer may further comprise additional repeat units derived-from tert-butyl acrylate, hydroxyadamantyl acrylate, protected or unprotected fluorinated-olefins, 2-methyl-2-adamantyl acrylate, 2-propenoic acid, 2-hydroxy-1,1,2-trimethylpropyl ester. Polymers of this invention are useful as the binder component of a photoresist composition for microlithography.

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 include a light-attenuating moiety having a structure selected from the group consisting of: where: each of X1 and Y is individually selected from the group consisting of electron withdrawing groups; R2 is selected from the group consisting of alkyls and aryls; and R3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyls. 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: By using a branched long chained chain scission polymer as a photoresist for EUV and 157 nanometer applications, a relatively higher molecular weight polymer with good mechanical properties may be achieved. In addition, by using chain scission technology, line edge roughness and resolution may be improved at the same time.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel negative-working chemical-amplification photoresist composition comprising (A) an alkali-soluble resin, (B) an acid-generating agent and (C) a crosslinking agent, of which the component (B) is an onium salt compound selected from the group consisting of iodonium salt compounds and sulfonium salt compounds, having a specific fluoroalkyl sulfonate ion as the anionic moiety and the component (C) is a specific ethyleneurea compound substituted for at least one nitrogen atom by a hydroxymethyl or alkoxymethyl group. The photoresist composition is particularly suitable for the formation of a photoresist layer on a substrate surface provided with an undercoating of a water-insoluble organic anti-reflection film exhibiting excellent pattern resolution and orthogonal cross sectional profile of the patterned resist layer with a good temperature latitude in the post-exposure baking treatment for latent image formation.

Abstract: New photoresists are provided that are suitable for short wavelength imaging, including sub-200 nm such as 157 nm. In one aspect, resists of the invention comprise a fluorine-containing polymer, a photoactive component, and one or more additional components of an amine or other basic composition, a dissolution inhibitor compound, a surfactant or leveling agent, or a plasticizer material. In another aspect, resists of the invention contain a fluorine-containing resin and one or more photoacid generator compounds, particularly non-aromatic onium salts and imidosulfonates, and other non-ionic photoacid generator compounds.

Abstract: Photoresist monomers, photoresist polymers prepared thereof, and photoresist compositions using the polymer are disclosed. More specifically, photoresist polymers comprising maleimide monomer represented by Formula 1, and a composition comprising the polymer thereof are disclosed. The photoresist composition has excellent etching resistance, heat resistance and adhesiveness, and can be developed in an aqueous tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution. As the composition has low light absorbance at 193 nm and 157 nm wavelength, and it is suitable for a process using ultraviolet light source such as VUV (157 nm) wherein, X1, X2, R1, R2 and R3 are defined in the specification.