Abstract: It is disclosed an over-coating agent for forming fine-line patterns which is applied to cover a substrate having thereon photoresist patterns and allowed to shrink under heat so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened, further characterized by comprising a water-soluble polymer which contains at least methacrylic acid and/or methyl methacrylate as the constitutive monomer thereof. Also disclosed is a method of forming fine-line patterns using the over-coating agent.

Abstract: It is disclosed a method of forming fine patterns comprising repeating plural times the following course of steps: covering a substrate having thereon photoresist patterns with an over-coating agent for forming fine patterns, applying heat treatment to cause thermal shrinkage of the over-coating agent so that the spacing between the adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened by the resulting thermal shrinking action, and removing the over-coating agent. The invention provides a method of forming fine patterns which has high ability to control pattern dimensions and provide fine patterns that have a satisfactory profile and satisfy the characteristics required of semiconductor devices, even in the case of employing a substrate having thick-film photoresist patterns in a thickness of about 1.0 ?m or more.

Abstract: It is disclosed a method of forming fine patterns comprising: covering a substrate having photoresist patterns with an over-coating agent for forming fine patterns, applying heat treatment to cause thermal shrinkage of the over-coating agent so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened by the resulting thermal shrinking action, and removing the over-coating agent substantially completely by way of bringing thusly treated substrate into contact with a remover solution for over 60 seconds.

Abstract: It is disclosed an over-coating agent for forming fine-line patterns which is applied to cover a substrate having thereon photoresist patterns and allowed to shrink under heat so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened, with the applied film of the over-coating agent being removed substantially completely to form or define fine trace patterns, further characterized by containing a copolymer or a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol with a water-soluble polymer other than polyvinyl alcohol. Also disclosed is a method of forming fine-line patterns using the over-coating agent. According to the invention, one can effectively increase the shrinkage amount (the amount of heat shrinking) of the agent, thereby achieving a remarkably improved effect of forming or defining fine-line patterns and which also present satisfactory profiles and meet the characteristics required of today's semiconductor devices.

Abstract: It is disclosed a method of forming fine patterns comprising: subjecting a substrate having photoresist patterns to a hydrophilic treatment, covering the substrate having photoresist patterns with an over-coating agent for forming fine patterns, applying heat treatment to cause thermal shrinkage of the over-coating agent so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened by the resulting thermal shrinking action, and removing the over-coating agent substantially completely.

Abstract: The invention provides a novel rinsing fluid which can convert an easily wettable resist pattern surface having a contact angle of 40° or below into one having a contact angle of 70° or above to inhibit pattern collapse effectively and thereby give high-quality products.

Abstract: A method of producing a high-quality product without damaging the physical properties of a pattern to be formed by a rinsing process based on a principle totally different from that for a conventional pattern collapse preventing method. A method for forming a resist pattern by subjecting a photo-resist layer provided on a substrate to image-forming exposure and then developing the resultant layer, wherein the resist pattern is formed, after the developing process, by the process of reducing a contact angle with respect to a contact liquid on the surface of the resist pattern to up to 40 degrees, then by the process of increasing it to at least 70 degrees, and further by drying it.

Abstract: A novel rinse solution for lithography to be used for suppressing contraction of a pattern and a method for forming a resist pattern using the rinse solution are provided, by reducing product surface defects of a photoresist pattern and providing the photoresist pattern with resistance to electronic beam irradiation. The rinse solution for lithography composed of a solution including a water-soluble resin having a nitrogen atom in a molecular structure is prepared. The resist pattern is formed with the rinse solution by performing (A) a process of providing a photoresist film on a board, (B) a process of selectively exposing the photoresist film through a mask pattern, (C) a process of performing post exposure bake (PEB), (D) a process of alkaline development, and (E) a process of treatment with the rinse solution for lithography.

Abstract: It is disclosed an over-coating agent for forming fine-line patterns which is applied to cover a substrate having thereon photoresist patterns and allowed to shrink under heat so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened, further characterized by comprising a water-soluble polymer which contains at least methacrylic acid and/or methyl methacrylate as the constitutive monomer thereof. Also disclosed is a method of forming fine-line patterns using the over-coating agent.

Abstract: It is disclosed an over-coating agent for forming fine patterns which is applied to cover a substrate having photoresist patterns thereon and allowed to shrink under heat so that the spacing between the adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened, further characterized by containing a water-soluble polymer and a surfactant. Also disclosed is a method of forming fine-line patterns using the over-coating agent. According to the invention, one can obtain fine-line patterns which exhibit good profiles while satisfying the characteristics required of semiconductor devices, being excellent in controlling the dimension of patterns.

Abstract: Disclosed is a negative resist composition which enables to form a resist pattern with improved shape properties by reducing roughness. Also disclosed is a method for forming a resist pattern using such a negative resist composition. The negative resist composition contains at least an alkali-soluble resin, a crosslinking agent which is crosslinked with the alkali-soluble resin by the action of an acid, and an onium salt as a photoacid generator. The anion component of the onium salt is composed of at least a sulfonate having a polycyclic structure.

Abstract: It is disclosed a method of forming fine patterns comprising: covering a substrate having photoresist patterns with an over-coating agent for forming fine patterns, removing the unwanted over-coating agent that has been deposited on the edge portions and/or the back side of the substrate, applying heat treatment to cause thermal shrinkage of the over-coating agent so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened by the resulting thermal shrinking action, and removing the over-coating agent substantially completely. The invention provides a method of forming fine patterns which has high ability to control pattern dimensions and provide fine patterns that have a satisfactory profile and satisfy the characteristics required of semiconductor devices, with an additional capability of preventing the occurrence of particles which are a potential cause of device contamination.

Abstract: It is disclosed a method of forming fine patterns comprising repeating plural times the following course of steps: covering a substrate having thereon photoresist patterns with an over-coating agent for forming fine patterns, applying heat treatment to cause thermal shrinkage of the over-coating agent so that the spacing between the adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened by the resulting thermal shrinking action, and removing the over-coating agent. The invention provides a method of forming fine patterns which has high ability to control pattern dimensions and provide fine patterns that have a satisfactory profile and satisfy the characteristics required of semiconductor devices, even in the case of employing a substrate having thick-film photoresist patterns in a thickness of about 1.0 ?m or more.

Abstract: It is disclosed an over-coating agent for forming fine-line patterns which is applied to cover a substrate having thereon photoresist patterns and allowed to shrink under heat so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened, with the applied film of the over-coating agent being removed substantially completely to form or define fine trace patterns, further characterized by containing a copolymer or a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol with a water-soluble polymer other than polyvinyl alcohol. Also disclosed is a method of forming fine-line patterns using the over-coating agent. According to the invention, one can effectively increase the shrinkage amount (the amount of heat shrinking) of the agent, thereby achieving a remarkably improved effect of forming or defining fine-line patterns and which also present satisfactory profiles and meet the characteristics required of today's semiconductor devices.

Abstract: The invention discloses improvements in the so-called coated thermal flow process for reducing the pattern dimension of a patterned resist layer on a substrate to accomplish increased fineness of resist patterning, in which a coating layer of a water-soluble resin formed on the patterned resist layer is heat-treated to effect thermal shrinkage of the coating layer with simultaneous reduction of the pattern dimension followed by removal of the coating layer by washing with water. The improvement of the process is obtained by using an aqueous coating solution admixed with a water-soluble amine compound such as triethanolamine in addition to a water-soluble resin such as a polyacrylic acid-based polymer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel multilayered body for photo-lithographic patterning of a photoresist layer from which a patterned resist layer having an excellent cross sectional profile can be obtained when the multilayered structure comprises, on the surface of a substrate, an underlying water-insoluble anti-reflection film and a negative-working photoresist layer of a specific photoresist composition comprising: (A) 100 parts by weight of an alkali-soluble resin; (B) from 0.5 to 20 parts by weight of an onium salt compound capable of releasing an acid by irradiation with actinic rays; and (C) from 3 to 50 parts by weight of a glycoluril compound substituted by at least one hydroxyalkyl group or alkoxyalkyl group at the N-position.

Abstract: It is disclosed an over-coating agent for forming fine patterns which is applied to cover a substrate having thereon photoresist patterns and allowed to shrink under heat so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened, with the applied film of the over-coating agent being removed substantially completely to form or define fine trace patterns, further characterized by containing a water-soluble polymer and a water-soluble fluorine compound (e.g. a fluoroalkyl alcohol or a fluoroalkyl carboxylic acid). Also disclosed is a method of forming fine-line patterns using the over-coating agent. According to the invention, one can reduce microfoaming and defects to produce fine-line patterns that have good leveling and coating properties and which also present satisfactory profiles and meet the characteristics required of today's semiconductor devices.

Abstract: It is disclosed a method of forming fine patterns comprising: subjecting a substrate having photoresist patterns to a hydrophilic treatment, covering the substrate having photoresist patterns with an over-coating agent for forming fine patterns, applying heat treatment to cause thermal shrinkage of the over-coating agent so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened by the resulting thermal shrinking action, and removing the over-coating agent substantially completely.

Abstract: It is disclosed an over-coating agent for forming fine-line patterns which is applied to cover a substrate having thereon photoresist patterns and allowed to shrink under heat so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened, further characterized by comprising a water-soluble polymer which contains at least methacrylic acid and/or methyl methacrylate as the constitutive monomer thereof. Also disclosed is a method of forming fine-line patterns using the over-coating agent.

Abstract: It is disclosed an over-coating agent for forming fine patterns which is applied to cover a substrate having thereon photoresist patterns and allowed to shrink under heat so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened, with the applied film of the over-coating agent being removed substantially completely to form or define fine trace patterns, further characterized by containing either a water-soluble polymer and an amide group-containing monomer or a water-soluble polymer which contains at least (meth)acrylamide as a monomeric component. Also disclosed is a method of forming fine-line patterns using any one of said over-coating agents. According to the invention, the thermal shrinkage of the over-coating agent for forming fine patterns in the heat treatment can be extensively increased, and one can obtain fine-line patterns which exhibit good profiles while satisfying the characteristics required of semiconductor devices.