Abstract: A high-performance anti-reflective coating which highly absorbs a given light, e.g., deep ultraviolet rays, tenaciously adheres to substrates upon coating formation, is satisfactory in covering, and eliminates the influence of standing waves in the production of integrated circuits; novel light-absorbing polymers for forming the anti-reflective coating; and a process for producing the polymers. One of the polymers is produced by esterifying a copolymer comprising carboxylic anhydride groups and/or dicarboxylic acid groups such as maleic acid as basic recurring units with a hydroxylated aromatic chromophore. The unreacted carboxylic acid groups or acid anhydride groups remaining in the esterified light-absorbing polymer may be amidated and/or imidized with an aminated aromatic compound.

Abstract: A radiation absorbing polymer is characterized by having a main chain copolymer containing recurring units of dicarboxylic acid or carboxylic anhydride group with an organic chromophore bonded to the carboxyl group through methylene or alkylene linkage group, where the organic chromophore is bonded to the carboxyl group by esterification reaction. Residual carboxyl groups of the radiation absorbing polymer can optionally be amidized and/or imidized with an aromatic compounds having a reactive amino group. When the photoresist is applied on the antireflective coating and is exposed by radiation such as deep ultraviolet radiation, a resist pattern with high resolving power is formed, which is not affected by standing wave upon manufacturing integrated circuit elements.

Abstract: A radiation sensitive resist composition with high sensitivity, capable of forming a highly heat-resistant resist pattern. The radiation-sensitive resist composition contains, together with a resist material, a polymer which is obtained by reacting (a) a xylylene compound, (b) salicylic acid and (c) 9,9'-bis(hydroxyphenyl)fluorene derivatives or diol compounds of 3,3,3',3'-tetramethyl-2,3,2',3'-tetrahydro-(1,1')-spirobiindene, and which has a weight average molecular weight of 1,000 to 5,000 and Tg of 100 to 150.degree. C. Examples of (c) include 9,9'-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)fluorene and 3,3,3',3'-tetramethyl-2,3,2',3'-tetrahydro-(1,1')-spirobiindene-6,6'-diol. As the resist material, any of positive- and negative-working resists may be used, with that comprising an alkali-soluble resin and a quinonediazide photo-sensitizer being preferably used.

Abstract: Proposed is an aqueous developer solution for an alkali-developable photoresist composition which contains, besides a water-soluble organic basic compound such as tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide and an anionic or non-ionic surface active agent as conventional ingredients in the prior art developwer solutions, an inorganic ammonium salt such as ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphates and ammonium borates in a limited amount. By virtue of this unique additive, the developer solution is advantageous in respect of the absence of any scums on the patterned resist layer obtained by the development treatment therewith as well as quite good orthogonality in the cross sectional profile of line-patterned resist layer in addition to the greatly improved latitude in the light exposure dose and range of focusing depth in the light-exposure process of the resist layer with ultraviolet light.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a composition for anti-reflection coating which comprises a perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acid, an organic amine, a polyvinyl pyrrolidone, a water-soluble alkylsiloxane polymer, and water. The composition is able to be an anti-reflection coating film which has a low refractive index, reduces the degree of forming insoluble layer, and does not generate fine particles and minute crystalline matters in its surface layer.

Abstract: Proposed is a novel method for the formation of a protective coating film having a pencil hardness of up to 9 H on the surface of various substrates or, in particular, electronic parts such as color filters and liquid crystal display panels. The method comprises: coating the surface with a liquid coating composition of which the principal ingredient is a partial cohydrolysis-condensation product of a tetraalkoxy silane, e.g., tetraethoxy silane, and a functional alkoxy silane, e.g., 3-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxy silane, and drying and heating the coating layer to effect complete curing. The hardness of the cured protective film can be increased by admixing the liquid coating composition with a finely divided inorganic filler such as a colloidal silica. It is optional that the functional alkoxy silane is subjected to the cohydrolysis reaction after it is polymerized alone or after it is copolymerized with a polyfunctional acrylic monomer.

Abstract: Proposed is a liquid coating composition for the formation of a siliceous coating film having good storage stability against gelation for the protection, levelling or electric insulation of various substrate surfaces. The composition is a uniform solution comprising:(A) a partial cohydrolysis-cocondensation product of(a) a first hydrolyzable silane compound represented by the general formulaHSi(OR).sub.3,in which each R is, independently from the others, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a phenyl group, and(b) a second hydrolyzable silane compound represented by the general formul aSi(OR).sub.4,in which each R has the same meaning as defined above,in a molar ratio of (a):(b) in the range from 1:9 to 9:1; and (B) an organic solvent to dissolve the component (A). The storage stability of the coating composition can be improved by removing the alcohol contained therein as the hydrolysis product of the silane compounds to such a content as not to exceed 15% by weight.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel aqueous developer solution used in the development treatment of an actinic ray-sensitive resist for the manufacture of, for example, semiconductor devices, which is capable of giving a patterned resist layer free from the troubles of film residue or scum deposition in any finest patterning. The developer solution contains, in addition to a nitrogen-containing organic basic compound, e.g., tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide, dissolved in an aqueous medium as the solvent, an anionic surface active agent which is a diphenyl ether compound having at least one ammonium sulfonate group, such as an ammonium alkyl diphenylether sulfonate, in a concentration of 0.05 to 5% by weight.

Abstract: Proposed is a novel method for the formation of a protective coating film having a pencil hardness of up to 9 H on the surface of various substrates or, in particular, electronic parts such as color filters and liquid crystal display panels. The method comprises: coating the surface with a liquid coating composition of which the principal ingredient is a partial cohydrolysis-condensation product of a tetraalkoxy silane, e.g., tetraethoxy silane, and a functional alkoxy silane, e.g., 3-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxy silane, and drying and heating the coating layer to effect complete curing. The hardness of the cured protective film can be increased by admixing the liquid coating composition with a finely divided inorganic filler such as a colloidal silica. It is optional that the functional alkoxy silane is subjected to the cohydrolysis reaction after it is polymerized alone or after it is copolymerized with a polyfunctional acrylic monomer.

Abstract: Proposed is a liquid coating composition for the formation of a siliceous coating film having good storage stability against gelation for the protection, levelling or electric insulation of various substrate surfaces. The composition is a uniform solution comprising:(A) a partial cohydrolysis-cocondensation product of(a) a first hydrolyzable silane compound represented by the general formulaHSi(OR).sub.3,in which each R is, independently from the others, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a phenyl group, and(b) a second hydrolyzable silane compound represented by the general formulaSi(OR).sub.4,in which each R has the same meaning as defined above, in a molar ratio of (a):(b) in the range from 1:9 to 9:1; and (B) an organic solvent to dissolve the component (A). The storage stability of the coating composition can be improved by removing the alcohol contained therein as the hydrolysis product of the silane compounds to such a content as not to exceed 15% by weight.

Abstract: Proposed is an aqueous coating composition based on a polyvinyl alcohol suitable for use to provide a protective film on various electronic materials. The composition comprises, as dissolved in water, a partially saponified polyvinyl alcohol having a specified average degree of polymerization and a specified degree of saponification, a fluorine-containing surface active agent and, optionally, a quaternary ammonium hydroxide. The liquid coating composition is preferably freed from sodium ions as an impurity by an ion-exchange treatment.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel negative-working radiation-sensitive resist composition useful in the photolithographic patterning works of resist layers on substrate surfaces in the manufacture of semiconductor devices and capable of giving a finely patterned resist layer with high resolution and having an excellently orthogonal cross sectional profile of the line-wise patterned resist layer with an outstandingly high sensitivity to various actinic rays. The composition comprises, as the essential ingredients, (a) an alkali-soluble resin such as a cresol novolac resin, (b) a specific alkoxymethylated amino resin, e.g., methoxymethylated melamine resin, and (c) a specific triazine compound in a limited weight proportion.

Abstract: A positive-working photoresist composition suitable for fine patterning in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, e.g., VLSIs, with high fidelity is proposed. The composition comprises 100 parts by weight of a cresol novolac resin and 25-60 parts by weight of a naphthoquinone diazide sulfonic acid ester as the photosensitive component while the cresol novolac resin component is prepared from a mixture of cresol isomers composed of 35-43% of m-cresol and 65-57% of p-cresol with substantial absence of o-cresol or composed of 35-43% of m-cresol, 65-57% of p-cresol and 1% or less of o-cresol.

Abstract: A proposal is made for the use of an alkyl pyruvate or a solvent mixture mainly composed thereof as a solvent in a positive-working photoresist composition comprising an alkali-soluble novolac resin as the film-forming ingredient and a quinone diazide group-containing compound as the photosensitive ingredient. By virtue of the use of the unique solvent, the photoresist composition is advantageous in the outstandingly high stability with little moisture absorption from ambience not to cause precipitation of solid matters in addition to the quite satisfactory properties in other respects as a photoresist composition.

Abstract: The developer solution of the invention is suitable for use to develop a positive-working resist composition comprising an alkali-soluble novolac resin and a naphthoquinone diazide compound and capable of giving a patterned image of the resist layer with a high contrast and increasing the effective depth of focus. The characteristic ingredient in the inventive developer solution is an alkali-soluble organic cyclic nitrogen compound such as N-hydroxyethyl piperazine, N-methyl-4-piperidone, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone and the like added in a specified concentration to a conventional developer solution containing tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide or choline as the water-soluble alkaline compound.

Abstract: The remover composition of the invention is advantageous in respect of the thermal stability without precipitation of insoluble matters when the remover is used prolongedly in a removing work of patterned resist, e.g., photoresist, layer in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices. The inventive remover composition characteristically contains 1 to 50,000 ppm by weight of an acetylene alcohol such as 3-methyl-2-butyn-3-ol added to an organic remover solution composed of an alkylbenzene sulfonic acid, phenol compound, halogenated hydrocarbon compound and/or aromatic hydrocarbon compound.

Abstract: A positive-working photoresist composition suitable for fine patterning in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices such as VLSIs with high fidelity is proposed. The composition comprises: (A) 100 parts by weight of a phenolic novolac resin prepared by the condensation reaction of a specific ternary mixture of three kinds of phenolic compounds and formaldehyde; and (B) 20-60 parts by weight of a photosensitizer which is preferably an ester of naphthoquinone diazidesulfonic acid and a hydroxylated benzophenone compound. The phenolic mixture is composed of 10-45% by weight of m-cresol, 35-88% by weight of p-cresol and 2-30% by weight of a substituted phenol represented by the general formula R.C.sub.6 H.sub.4.OH, in which R is a monovalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 2-6 carbon atoms selected from alkyl and alkenyl groups.

Abstract: The photosensitive composition, which is suitable as a photoresist material in fine patterning works for the manufacture of semiconductor devices, contains, as a photoextinctive agent, a combination of an alkali-insoluble dye and an alkali-soluble dye each having absorptivity of light in the wavelength region from 230 to 500 nm in a specified amount and in a specified ratio between them. By virtue of the formulation of combined dyes, the undesirable phenomenon of halation by the underlying aluminum coating layer on the substrate surface is greatly decreased so that patterned resist layer obtained with the composition is a high-fidelity reproduction of the original pattern even in a submicron range of fineness with good rectangularity of the cross sectional form of the patterned lines.

Abstract: The pattern-wise photoresist layer formed on the surface of a substrate according to the inventive method is imparted with a greatly improved resolving power as a result of complete removal of the scum residua left after the development treatment. Namely, the positive-working photoresist layer formed on the substrate surface is exposed pattern-wise to actinic rays, developed with a developer solution which is typically a 2-7% aqueous solution of a quaternary ammonium hydroxide and then rinsed with a scum-remover solution which is a mixture of 100 parts of a 0.1-1.5% aqueous solution of a quaternary ammonium hydroxide and 1-30 parts of a water-miscible organic solvent and capable of dissolving away the scum residua in the pattern-wise photoresist layer without affecting the quality of the photoresist pattern reproduction.

Abstract: The aqueous developing solution of the invention for positive-working photoresist compositions contains, in addition to an organic basic compound free from metallic ions, such as tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide and choline, as the principal ingredient, from 50 to 5000 ppm of an acetylene alcohol. In comparison with conventional developing solutions, the inventive developing solution is advantageous in the uniformity of the patterned photoresist layer, higher sensitivity and smaller temperature dependency of development and less drawbacks due to foaming of the solution.