Abstract: Disclosed is a novel negative-working chemical-amplification photoresist composition comprising, as the essential ingredients, (A) an alkali-soluble resin, (B) a radiation-sensitive acid-generating agent and (C) a cross-linking agent. Characteristically, the component (B) is a combination of a halogenoacid-generating compound and a bis(alkylsulfonyl) diazomethane compound in a specified proportion. By virtue of this unique formulation of the composition, the photoresist composition can give a patterned resist layer having excellently orthogonal cross sectional profile in a high photosensitivity.

Abstract: Proposed is a novel undercoating composition to form an undercoating layer interposed between the surface of a substrate and a photoresist layer with an object to decrease the adverse influences by the reflection of light on the substrate surface in the pattern-wise exposure of the photo-resist layer to ultraviolet light without the undesirable phenomena of intermixing between layers and notching along with a large selectivity ratio in the etching rates between the patterned resist layer and the undercoating layer in a dry-etching treatment. The undercoating composition comprises (A) an ultraviolet absorber which is a benzophenone compound or an aromatic azomethine compound each having at least one unsubstituted or alkyl-substituted amino group on the aryl groups and (B) a crosslinking agent which is preferably a melamine compound having at least two methylol groups or alkoxymethyl groups bonded to the nitrogen atoms in a molecule in a weight proportion (A):(B) in the range from 1:1 to 1:10.

Abstract: A proposal is made for the photolithographic formation of a patterned resist layer on a substrate without the troubles due to reflection of the exposure light on the substrate surface. Thus, patterning is conducted on a photo-resist laminate comprising (a) a substrate; (b) a specific anti-reflection coating layer formed on one surface of the substrate; and (c) a photoresist layer formed on the anti-reflection coating layer from a specific negative-working chemical-sensitization photoresist composition.

Abstract: The present invention provides a chemical-amplification-type negative resist composition containing an alkali-soluble resin, a compound capable of generating an acid by irradiation and a crosslinking agent, and the resist composition of the present invention is characterized in that it further contains an organic carboxylic acid compound as an acidic compound and an organic amine compound as an alkaline compound.

Abstract: Proposed is a novel chemical-sensitization resist composition capable of giving a positively or negatively patterned resist layer of excellent pattern resolution and cross sectional profile of the patterned resist layer with high sensitivity. Characteristically, the resist composition is formulated, as combined with a resinous ingredient which is subject to changes in the solubility behavior in an alkaline developer solution by interaction with an acid, with a specific oximesulfonate compound as the radiation-sensitive acid-generating agent represented by the general formulaR.sup.1 --C(CN).dbd.N--O--SO.sub.2 --R.sup.2,in which R.sup.1 is an inert organic group and R.sup.2 is an unsubstituted or substituted polycyclic monovalent hydrocarbon group selected from the group consisting of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon groups such as naphthyl and polycyclic non-aromatic hydrocarbon groups such as a terpene or camphor residue.

Abstract: Proposed is a novel undercoating composition to form an undercoating layer interposed between the surface of a substrate and a photoresist layer with an object to decrease the adverse influences by the reflection of light on the substrate surface in the pattern-wise exposure of the photoresist layer to ultraviolet light without the undesirable phenomena of intermixing between layers and notching along with a large selectivity ratio in the etching rates between the patterned resist layer and the undercoating layer in a dry-etching treatment. The undercoating composition comprises (A) an ultraviolet absorber which is a benzophenone compound or an aromatic azomethine compound each having at least one unsubstituted or alkyl-substituted amino group on the aryl groups and (B) a crosslinking agent which is preferably a melamine compound having at least two methylol groups or alkoxymethyl groups bonded to the nitrogen atoms in a molecule in a weight proportion (A):(B) in the range from 1:1 to 1:10.

Abstract: A proposal is made for the photolithographic formation of a patterned resist layer on a substrate without the troubles due to reflection of the exposure light on the substrate surface. Thus, patterning is conducted on a photoresist laminate comprising (a) a substrate; (b) a specific anti-reflection coating layer formed on one surface of the substrate; and (c) a photoresist layer formed on the anti-reflection coating layer from a specific negative-working chemical-sensitization photoresist composition comprising an oxime sulfonate acid generating agent.

Abstract: Proposed is an alkali-developable negative-working photoresist composition in the form of a solution capable of exhibiting high sensitivity and greatly improved stability of the resist layer of the composition on a substrate surface after pattern-wise exposure to actinic rays and kept for a substantial length of time before further processing. The photoresist composition comprises, as the essential ingredients, (a) an alkali-soluble resin such as a copolymer of hydroxystyrene and styrene; (b) a compound capable of releasing an acid when irradiated with actinic rays such as tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate; (c) a crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting of melamine resins and urea resins substituted at the N-positions by methylol groups, alkoxy methyl groups or a combination thereof; and (d) a sensitivity improver which is hexa(methoxymethyl) melamine or di(methoxymethyl) urea, each in a specified proportion.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel chemical-sensitization type negative-working photoresist composition capable of exhibiting high sensitivity to actinic rays and giving a patterned resist layer with high resolution and excellently orthogonal cross sectional profile of the patterned resist layer without occurrence of microbridges. The composition comprises (a) a poly(hydroxystyrene)-based resin; (b) a compound capable of releasing an acid by the irradiation with actinic rays such as tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate; and (c) a crosslinking agent such as a urea resin and melamine resin, each in a specified weight proportion, the poly(hydroxystyrene)-based resin as the component (a) having such a dispersion of the molecular weight distribution that the ratio of the weight-average molecular weight M.sub.w to the number-average molecular weight M.sub.n does not exceed 1.