Abstract: A curable liquid formulation comprising: (i) one or more near-infrared absorbing polymethine dyes; (ii) one or more crosslinkable polymers; and (iii) one or more casting solvents. The invention is also directed to solid near-infrared absorbing films composed of crosslinked forms of the curable liquid formulation. The invention is also directed to a microelectronic substrate containing a coating of the solid near-infrared absorbing film as well as a method for patterning a photoresist layer coated on a microelectronic substrate in the case where the near-infrared absorbing film is between the microelectronic substrate and a photoresist film.

Abstract: A silicon-containing antireflective coating formulation comprising: (i) an aqueous base insoluble organosilicon component having a multiplicity of hydrocarbon groups derivatized with hydroxy groups in the absence of Si—O—C and Si—O—H moieties; (ii) a vinylether component having a multiplicity of vinylether groups; and (iii) a casting solvent. Also disclosed is a method for converting the silicon-containing antireflective coating formulation into a crosslinked silicon-containing antireflective film comprising organosilicon units interconnected by acetal or ketal groups. The method entails (a) coating a substrate with the silicon-containing antireflective coating formulation and (b) heating the coated substrate to a temperature at which crosslinking between the organosilicon silicon component and vinylether component occurs.

Abstract: A patterning process includes (1) forming, on a body to be processed on which a titanium-containing hard mask is formed, an organic underlayer film; (2) forming, on the organic underlayer film, a titanium-containing resist underlayer film having a titanium content of 10% to 60% by mass; (3) forming a photoresist film on the titanium-containing resist underlayer film; (4) forming a photoresist pattern by exposing the photoresist film and developing; (5) pattern-transferring onto the titanium-containing resist underlayer film by using the photoresist pattern as a mask; (6) pattern-transferring onto the organic underlayer film by using the titanium-containing resist underlayer film as a mask; and (7) removing the titanium-containing hard mask and the titanium-containing resist underlayer film by wet stripping method. A patterning process including removing a resist underlayer film using a wet stripper having a milder condition than the conventional stripper without causing damage to a body to be processed.

Abstract: A composition comprising a polymer comprising repeat units selected from formulae (1) to (4), an aromatic ring-containing polymer, a near-infrared absorbing dye, and a solvent is used to form a near-infrared absorptive film. R1, R7, R9, and R14 are H, methyl, fluorine or trifluoromethyl, R2 to R6 are H, F, trifluoromethyl, —C(CF3)2OR16, alkyl or alkoxy, at least one of R2 to R6 being F or a fluorinated group, R16, R8 and R13 are H or a monovalent organic group, L1 is a single bond or —C(?O)O—, m is 0 or 1, L2 is a di- or trivalent hydrocarbon group, n is 1 or 2, R10 to R12 are H, hydroxyl, halogen or a monovalent organic group, and R15 is a fluorinated C2-C15 hydrocarbon group.

Abstract: Techniques for minimizing or eliminating pattern deformation during lithographic pattern transfer to inorganic substrates are provided. In one aspect, a method for pattern transfer into an inorganic substrate is provided. The method includes the following steps. The inorganic substrate is provided. An organic planarizing layer is spin-coated on the inorganic substrate. The organic planarizing layer is baked. A hardmask is deposited onto the organic planarizing layer. A photoresist layer is spin-coated onto the hardmask. The photoresist layer is patterned. The hardmask is etched through the patterned photoresist layer using reactive ion etching (RIE). The organic planarizing layer is etched through the etched hardmask using RIE. A high-temperature anneal is performed in the absence of oxygen. The inorganic substrate is etched through the etched organic planarizing layer using reactive ion etching.

Abstract: A photoacid generator P+ A? comprises (a) an antenna group P+ comprising atoms with high EUV photoabsorption cross-sections according to FIG. 1 and A? anions; or (b) an antenna group P+ and A? comprising anions with low photoabsorption cross-sections for EUV; or (c) an antenna group P+, comprising atoms with high EUV photoabsorption cross-sections according to FIG. 1 and A? comprising anions with low photoabsorption cross-sections for EUV. Novel compounds comprise DTFPIO PFBuS, and DTBPIO CN5.

Abstract: A curable liquid formulation containing at least (i) one or more near-infrared absorbing triphenylamine-based dyes, and (ii) one or more casting solvents. The invention is also directed to solid near-infrared absorbing films composed of crosslinked forms of the curable liquid formulation. The invention is also directed to a microelectronic substrate containing a coating of the solid near-infrared absorbing film as well as a method for patterning a photoresist layer coated on a microelectronic substrate in the case where the near-infrared absorbing film is between the microelectronic substrate and a photoresist film.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a near-infrared (NIR) film composition for use in vertical alignment and correction in the patterning of integrated semiconductor wafers and a pattern forming method using the composition. The NIR absorbing film composition includes a NIR absorbing dye having a polymethine cation and a crosslinkable anion, a crosslinkable polymer and a crosslinking agent. The patterning forming method includes aligning and focusing a focal plane position of a photoresist layer by sensing near-infrared emissions reflected from a substrate containing the photoresist layer and a NIR absorbing layer formed from the NIR absorbing film composition under the photoresist layer. The NIR absorbing film composition and the pattern forming method are especially useful for forming material patterns on a semiconductor substrate having complex buried topography.

Abstract: A method to fabricate a carbon nanotube (CNT)-based transistor includes providing a substrate having a CNT disposed over a surface; forming a protective electrically insulating layer over the CNT and forming a first multi-layer resist stack (MLRS) over the protective electrically insulating layer. The first MLRS includes a bottom layer, an intermediate layer and a top layer of resist. The method further includes patterning and selectively removing a portion of the first MLRS to define an opening for a gate stack while leaving the bottom layer; selectively removing a portion of the protective electrically insulating layer within the opening to expose a first portion of the CNT; forming the gate stack within the opening and upon the exposed first portion of the carbon nanotube, followed by formation of source and drain contacts also in accordance with the inventive method so as to expose second and third portions of the CNT.

Abstract: A structure includes a substrate having a carbon nanotube (CNT) disposed over a surface. The CNT is partially disposed within a protective electrically insulating layer. The structure further includes a gate stack disposed over the substrate. A first portion of a length of the CNT not covered by the protective electrically insulating layer passes through the gate stack. Source and drain contacts are disposed adjacent to the gate stack, where second and third portions of the length of CNT not covered by the protective electrically insulating layer are conductively electrically coupled to the source and drain contacts. The gate stack and the source and drain contacts are contained within the protective electrically insulating layer and within an electrically insulating organic planarization layer that is disposed over the protective electrically insulating layer. A method to fabricate a CNT-based transistor is also described.

Abstract: A method of improving the focus leveling response of a semiconductor wafer is described. The method includes combining organic and inorganic or metallic near infrared (NIR) hardmask on a semiconductor substrate; forming an anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer on the combined organic NIR-absorption and the inorganic or metallic NIR-absorption hardmask; and forming a photoresist layer on the ARC layer. A semiconductor structure is also described including a substrate, a resist layer located over the structure; and an absorptive layer located over the substrate. The absorptive layer includes an inorganic or metallic NIR-absorbing hardmask layer.

Abstract: Techniques for minimizing or eliminating pattern deformation during lithographic pattern transfer to inorganic substrates are provided. In one aspect, a method for pattern transfer into an inorganic substrate is provided. The method includes the following steps. The inorganic substrate is provided. An organic planarizing layer is spin-coated on the inorganic substrate. The organic planarizing layer is baked. A hardmask is deposited onto the organic planarizing layer. A photoresist layer is spin-coated onto the hardmask. The photoresist layer is patterned. The hardmask is etched through the patterned photoresist layer using reactive ion etching (RIE). The organic planarizing layer is etched through the etched hardmask using RIE. A high-temperature anneal is performed in the absence of oxygen. The inorganic substrate is etched through the etched organic planarizing layer using reactive ion etching.

Abstract: A curable liquid formulation containing at least (i) one or more near-infrared absorbing triphenylamine-based dyes, and (ii) one or more casting solvents. The invention is also directed to solid near-infrared absorbing films composed of crosslinked forms of the curable liquid formulation. The invention is also directed to a microelectronic substrate containing a coating of the solid near-infrared absorbing film as well as a method for patterning a photoresist layer coated on a microelectronic substrate in the case where the near-infrared absorbing film is between the microelectronic substrate and a photoresist film.

Abstract: A composition comprising a polymer comprising repeat units selected from formulae (1) to (4), an aromatic ring-containing polymer, a near-infrared absorbing dye, and a solvent is used to form a near-infrared absorptive film. R1, R7, R9, and R14 are H, methyl, fluorine or trifluoromethyl, R2 to R6 are H, F, trifluoromethyl, —C(CF3)2OR16, alkyl or alkoxy, at least one of R2 to R6 being F or a fluorinated group, R16, R8 and R13 are H or a monovalent organic group, L1 is a single bond or —C(?O)O—, m is 0 or 1, L2 is a di- or trivalent hydrocarbon group, n is 1 or 2, R10 to R12 are H, hydroxyl, halogen or a monovalent organic group, and R15 is a fluorinated C2-C15 hydrocarbon group.

Abstract: A curable liquid formulation containing at least (i) one or more near-infrared absorbing triphenylamine-based dyes, and (ii) one or more casting solvents. The invention is also directed to solid near-infrared absorbing films composed of crosslinked forms of the curable liquid formulation. The invention is also directed to a microelectronic substrate containing a coating of the solid near-infrared absorbing film as well as a method for patterning a photoresist layer coated on a microelectronic substrate in the case where the near-infrared absorbing film is between the microelectronic substrate and a photoresist film.

Abstract: A method of improving the focus leveling response of a semiconductor wafer is described. The method includes combining organic and inorganic or metallic near infrared (NIR) hardmask on a semiconductor substrate; forming an anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer on the combined organic NIR-absorption and the inorganic or metallic NIR-absorption hardmask; and forming a photoresist layer on the ARC layer. A semiconductor structure is also described including a substrate, a resist layer located over the structure; and an absorptive layer located over the substrate. The absorptive layer includes an inorganic or metallic NIR-absorbing hardmask layer.

Abstract: A composition comprising (A) a near-infrared absorbing dye of formula (1), (B) a polymer, and (C) a solvent is used to form a near-infrared absorptive layer. In formula (1), R1 and R2 are a monovalent hydrocarbon group which may contain a heteroatom, k is 0 to 5, m is 0 or 1, n is 1 or 2, Z is oxygen, sulfur or C(R?)(R?), R? and R? are hydrogen or a monovalent hydrocarbon group which may contain a heteroatom, and X? is an anion.

Abstract: A near-infrared absorptive layer is formed from a composition comprising (A) an acenaphthylene polymer, (B) a near-infrared absorbing dye, and (C) a solvent. When a multilayer film comprising the near-infrared absorptive layer and a photoresist layer is used in optical lithography, the detection accuracy of optical auto-focusing is improved, allowing the optical lithography to produce a definite projection image with an improved contrast and succeeding in forming a better photoresist pattern.

Abstract: A photoacid generator P+ A? comprises (a) an antenna group P+ comprising atoms with high EUV photoabsorption cross-sections according to FIG. 1 and A? anions; or (b) an antenna group P+ and A? comprising anions with low photoabsorption cross-sections for EUV; or (c) an antenna group P+, comprising atoms with high EUV photoabsorption cross-sections according to FIG. 1 and A? comprising anions with low photoabsorption cross-sections for EUV. Novel compounds comprise DTFPIO PFBuS, and DTBPIO CN5.

Abstract: A photoacid generator P+ A? comprises (a) an antenna group P+ comprising atoms with high EUV photoabsorption cross-sections according to FIG. 1 and A? anions; or (b) an antenna group P+ and A? comprising anions with low photoabsorption cross-sections for EUV; or (c) an antenna group P+, comprising atoms with high EUV photoabsorption cross-sections according to FIG. 1 and A? comprising anions with low photoabsorption cross-sections for EUV. Novel compounds comprise DTFPIO PFBuS, and DTBPIO CN5.