Abstract: A positive resist composition for immersion lithography of the present invention includes a resin component (A) which exhibits increased alkali solubility under the action of acid; and an acid generator component (B) which generates acid on exposure, wherein the resin component (A) includes a cyclic main chain resin (A1) containing a fluorine atom and no acid-dissociable group, and a resin (A2) containing a structural unit (a) derived from an acrylic acid and no fluorine atom.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to non-self imageable and imageable norbornene-type polymers useful for immersion lithographic processes, methods of making such polymers, compositions employing such polymers and the immersion lithographic processes that make use of such compositions. More specifically the embodiments of the present invention are related to norbornene-type polymers useful for forming imaging layer and top-coat layers for overlying such imaging layers in immersion lithographic process and the process thereof.

Abstract: A positive resist composition including a base component (A) which exhibits increased solubility in an alkali developing solution under action of acid and an acid-generator component (B) which generates acid upon exposure, the base component (A) including a polymeric compound (A1) containing a structural unit (a0) represented by general formula (a0-1), a structural unit (a1) derived from an acrylate ester containing an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group, and a structural unit (a3) derived from an acrylate ester containing a hydroxy group-containing aliphatic hydrocarbon group represented by general formula (a3-1), and the amount of the structural unit (a3) based on the combined total of all structural units constituting the polymeric compound (A1) being in the range of 1 to 30 mol %.

Abstract: A resist composition including a base component (A) which exhibits changed solubility in an alkali developing solution under action of acid and an acid-generator component (B) which generates acid upon exposure, the acid-generator component (B) including an acid generator (B1) containing a compound having a cation moiety represented by general formula (I) (in the formula, R5 represents an organic group having a carbonyl group, an ester bond or a sulfonyl group; and Q represents a divalent linking group).

Abstract: This invention provides a material for protective film formation, comprising at least an alkali soluble polymer comprising at least one of constitutional units represented by general formulae (I) and (II) and an alcoholic solvent. The material for protective film formation can simultaneously prevent a deterioration in a resist film during liquid immersion exposure and a deterioration in a liquid for liquid immersion exposure used and, at the same time, can form a resist pattern with a good shape without the need to increase the number of treatment steps.

Abstract: There are provided a compound preferable as an acid generator for a resist composition, an acid generator including the compound, a resist composition containing the acid generator, and a method of forming a resist pattern using the resist composition, and the compound is represented by general formula (b1-12) shown below: R2—CH2—O—Y1—SO3?A+??(b1-12) wherein R2 represents a monovalent aromatic organic group; Y1 represents an alkylene group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms which may be fluorinated; and A+ represents a cation.

Abstract: A photoresist composition containing a polymer (A) containing an alkali-soluble constituent unit (a1) containing an alicyclic group having both a fluorine atom or a fluorinated alkyl group (i) and an alcoholic hydroxyl group (ii), whose alkali-solubility is changeable by an action of an acid; an acid generator (B) which generates an acid by light irradiation; and a dissolution inhibitor (C) having a fluorine atom(s) and/or a nitrogen-containing compound (D) selected from a tertiary amine (d1) having a polar group, a tertiary alkylamine (d2) having 7 or more and 15 or less of carbon atoms or an ammonium salt (d3). The composition has a resist property capable of accomplishing line and space (1:1) of 90 nm or less in good shape as a pattern processing accuracy of a semiconductor integrated circuit by lithography.

Abstract: A positive resist composition including: a base component (A) which includes a polymeric compound (A1) containing a structural unit (a0) represented by the general formula (a0-1) and a structural unit (a1) derived from an acrylate ester having an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group; and an acid generator component (B) which includes an acid generator (B1) containing an anion moiety represented by the general formula (I): (in the formula (a0-1), R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a halogenated lower alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms; R2 represents a bivalent linking group; and R3 represents a cyclic group containing —SO2— within the ring skeleton. In the formula (I), X represents a cyclic group of 3 to 30 carbon atoms, Q1 represents a bivalent linking group containing an oxygen atom; Y1 represents an alkylene group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a fluorinated alkylene group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms).

Abstract: A distributed system using a quorum redundancy method in which a redundancy process is executed by at least Q processing elements of N processing elements communicable with each other, each of N processing elements includes a resynchronization determining unit for determining that an execution state of the processing element itself can be resynchronized with a latest execution state in the distributed system in the case where the processing element can communicate with at least F+1 elements (F=N?Q) already synchronized of the N processing elements at the time of rebooting the processing element, and a resynchronizing unit for resynchronizing the execution state of the processing element itself to the latest one of the execution states of the at least F+1 processing elements in accordance with the result of determination by the resynchronizing unit.

Abstract: To provide a material for protective film formation that can simultaneously prevent a change in quality of a resist film during liquid immersion exposure and a change in quality of a liquid for liquid immersion exposure used, and, at the same time, can form a resist pattern having a good shape without increasing the number of treatment steps. A material for protective film formation, comprising at least an alkali-soluble polymer comprising constitutional units represented by general formula (1): wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R2 represents an alkylene chain having 1 to 5 carbon atoms; R3 represents a fluorinated alkylene chain having 1 to 10 carbon atoms in which a part or all of hydrogen atoms have been substituted by a fluorine atom; and m is a repeating unit.

Abstract: A high-molecular compound and a low-molecular compound or both having an alkali-soluble site (i) wherein at least a part of the alkali-soluble site (i) is protected with (ii) a halogen atom-containing acetal type acid-dissociative, dissolution inhibiting group, as well as a photoresist composition comprising the same. The photoresist composition is highly stable during storage and can give a resist pattern excellent in sectional rectangular shape and having high transparency to an exposure light, particularly a light having a wavelength of 300 nm or less.

Abstract: In the liquid immersion lithography process, by simultaneously preventing deterioration of a resist film and deterioration of an immersion liquid employed during liquid immersion lithography which uses various immersion liquids, including water, resistance to post exposure delay of the resist film can be improved without increasing the number of processes, thereby making it possible to form a high resolution resist pattern using liquid immersion lithography. Using an alkaline soluble polymer, a crosslinking agent, and a solvent capable of dissolving them as at least constituent component, a composition is prepared and a protective film is formed on the surface of the resist film to be used, using the composition.

Abstract: A positive resist composition for immersion lithography of the present invention includes a resin component (A) which exhibits increased alkali solubility under the action of acid; and an acid generator component (B) which generates acid on exposure, wherein the resin component (A) includes a cyclic main chain resin (A1) containing a fluorine atom and no acid-dissociable group, and a resin (A2) containing a structural unit (a) derived from an acrylic acid and no fluorine atom.

Abstract: In a distributed system in which a plurality of resources execute a distributed transaction, each of the resources changes the state of an own updating process in accordance with an notification from a coordinator. In addition, each of the resources includes a termination protocol unit which collects states of updating processes of the resources, and executes a termination protocol by determining whether to commit or abort the own updating process, on the basis of the collected states of the updating processes, regardless of the notification from the coordinator.

Abstract: A material for protective film formation that is used to form an upper-layer protective film for a resist film and that contains at least a polymer component soluble in water or alkali and an alcohol containing a fluorine atom; and a method of forming a resist pattern with the use of the same. Consequently, not only can the degeneration of resist film during liquid immersion exposure by various liquids for liquid immersion exposure, for example, water and the degeneration of liquid immersion exposure liquids per se be simultaneously prevented in the liquid immersion exposure process, but also without inviting an increase of the number of processing steps, the resistance to post exposure delay of the resist film can be enhanced.

Abstract: It is intended to in a liquid-immersion exposure process, simultaneously prevent any degeneration, represented by bridge, etc., of resist film during the liquid-immersion exposure using water and other various liquid-immersion exposure liquids and any degeneration of liquid-immersion exposure liquids per se, and to without increasing of the number of treatment steps, realize enhancing of the post-exposure storage stability of resist film, and to enable forming of a resist pattern of high resolution through liquid-immersion exposure.

Abstract: A liquid immersion lithography process is provided. In particular, the liquid immersion lithography process is one in which the resolution of a resist pattern is improved by exposure to light through a liquid having a refractive index higher than that of air and a predetermined thickness, while being arranged on at least a resist film in a pathway allowing exposure light for lithography to reach to the resist film. Accordingly, both the resist film and the liquid used are prevented from deterioration in liquid immersion lithography. Thus, the formation of a high-resolution resist pattern can be attained with liquid immersion lithography. Therefore, the liquid comprised of a silicon-based liquid transparent to exposure light used in the lithography process is employed as an immersion liquid for liquid immersion lithography.

Abstract: In the liquid immersion lithography process, by simultaneously preventing deterioration of a resist film and deterioration of an immersion liquid employed during liquid immersion lithography which uses various immersion liquids, including water, resistance to post exposure delay of the resist film can be improved without increasing the number of processes, thereby making it possible to form a high resolution resist pattern using liquid immersion lithography. Furthermore, it is possible to apply a high refractive index liquid immersion medium, used in combination with the high refractive index liquid immersion medium, thus making it possible to further improve pattern accuracy. Using a composition comprising an acrylic resin component having characteristics which have substantially no compatibility with a liquid in which a resist film is immersed, particularly water, and are also soluble in alkaline, a protective film is formed on the surface of a resist film used.

Abstract: The formation of high-resolution resist patterns by liquid immersion lithography with various fluids is enabled by protecting a resist film from deterioration (such as bridging) during the immersion exposure in a fluid (such as water) and the fluid from deterioration and improving the stability of a resist film in the storage after exposure without increase in the number of treatment steps. A material for forming resist protection films which comprises an alkali-soluble polymer for forming a protective overcoat for a resist film, characterized in that the contact angle of the polymer to water is 90° or above. The polymer is preferably an acrylic polymer which comprises as the essential components constituent units derived from (meth) acrylic acid and constituent units derived from a specific acrylic ester.

Abstract: The liquid immersion lithography process is configured so that the resist pattern resolution is improved by exposing a resist film to the lithographic exposure light under the conditions in which the predetermined thickness of the liquid for liquid immersion lithography, of which the refractive index is higher than that of air and smaller than that of the resist film is intervened at least on the resist film in a path of the lithography exposure light reaching the resist film, a protective film is formed on the surface of the resist film to be used. Therefore, when various immersion liquid, water being the representative example is used in the liquid immersion lithography process can be formed, the deterioration of the resist film and the immersion liquid to be used are simultaneously prevented, and the number of the process steps are not increased, and then the resist pattern having higher resolving ability.