Abstract: The improvement of the invention consists in the use of a specific ether compound, e.g., diethyleneglycol monomethyl, monoethyl and monobutyl ethers, dipropyleneglycol monomethyl and monoethyl ethers, triethyleneglycol monomethyl and monoethyl ethers and tripropyleneglycol monomethyl ether, as a rinse solvent for a substrate from which the pattern photoresist layer has been removed with a remover solution in the photolithographic processing of semiconductor devices. The rinse solvent is free from the problems in the toxicity to human body and environment pollution relative to waste disposal as well as the danger of fire. The rinse solvent is versatile to be applicable to both of the negative- and positive-working photoresist compositions. Further advantages are obtained by adding an aliphatic amine compound to the rinse solvent.

Abstract: Although the positive-working photoresist composition comprises a phenolic novolac resin as the film-forming component and a known photosensitizing compound as in conventional compositions, the novolac resin is prepared from a specific mixture of two classes of phenolic compounds including, one, phenol, cresols and/or resorcinol and, the other, one or more of the phenolic compounds having a nucleus-substituting group selected from allyloxy, allyloxymethyl, allyl dimethyl silyl, 2-(allyl dimethyl silyl) ethoxy, cinnamoyl, acryloyl and methacryloyl groups. By virtue of this unique combination to give the phenolic moiety in the novolac resin, the photoresist composition has markedly improved heat resistance as well as stability against plasma in dry etching so that the composition can give a patterned photoresist layer with extreme fineness having high fidelity to the mask pattern.

Abstract: The aqueous developing solution of the invention for positive-working photoresist compositions contains, in addition to an organic basic compound free from metal ions, such as tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide and choline, as the principal ingredient, from 50 to 5000 ppm of an anionic or non-ionic fluorine-containing surface active agent of specific types. In comparison with conventional developing solutions without such a surface active agent, the inventive developing solution is advantageous in the uniformity of the patterned photoresist layer and higher sensitivity and smaller temperature dependency of development.

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 a cresol novolac resin and a naphthoquinone diazide sulfonic acid ester as the photosensitive component while the cresol novolac resin component is characteristically a combination of two different cresol novolac resins differentiated in respects of the weight-average molecular weight, one large and the other small, and the weight proportion of the m- and p-isomers of cresol, one rich in the m-isomer and the other rich in the p-isomer, used in the preparation of the novolac and the overall weight ratio of the m-cresol and p-cresol moieties in the thus combined cresol novolac resins also should be in a specified range.

Abstract: A clamp band which includes a strip member having an intermediate portion formed to substantially conform to the outline of an article to be fastened and two ends projected outward from the intermediate portion and a lever member welded to the two ends of the strip member. One of the two ends of the strip member extends approximately tangentially from the intermediate portion and the other extends to make an acute angle. The lever member is welded to the outside of the end located nearer the intermediate portion of the these ends when two ends of the strip member are brought down. The lever member is formed to contact closely an outer peripheral surface of the strip member and has high hardness edge portions extending longitudinally thereof.