Abstract: It is disclosed a method of forming fine patterns comprising: covering a substrate having photoresist patterns with an over-coating agent for forming fine patterns, applying heat treatment to cause thermal shrinkage of the over-coating agent so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened by the resulting thermal shrinking action, and removing the over-coating agent substantially completely by way of bringing thusly treated substrate into contact with a remover solution for over 60 seconds.

Abstract: It is disclosed an over-coating agent for forming fine-line patterns which is applied to cover a substrate having thereon photoresist patterns and allowed to shrink under heat so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened, with the applied film of the over-coating agent being removed substantially completely to form or define fine trace patterns, further characterized by containing a copolymer or a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol with a water-soluble polymer other than polyvinyl alcohol. Also disclosed is a method of forming fine-line patterns using the over-coating agent. According to the invention, one can effectively increase the shrinkage amount (the amount of heat shrinking) of the agent, thereby achieving a remarkably improved effect of forming or defining fine-line patterns and which also present satisfactory profiles and meet the characteristics required of today's semiconductor devices.

Abstract: It is disclosed a method of forming fine patterns comprising: subjecting a substrate having photoresist patterns to a hydrophilic treatment, covering the substrate having photoresist patterns with an over-coating agent for forming fine patterns, applying heat treatment to cause thermal shrinkage of the over-coating agent so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened by the resulting thermal shrinking action, and removing the over-coating agent substantially completely.

Abstract: It is disclosed an over-coating agent for forming fine-line patterns which is applied to cover a substrate having thereon photoresist patterns and allowed to shrink under heat so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened, further characterized by comprising a water-soluble polymer which contains at least methacrylic acid and/or methyl methacrylate as the constitutive monomer thereof. Also disclosed is a method of forming fine-line patterns using the over-coating agent.

Abstract: A resist composition which is stable relative to solvents used in immersion lithography processes and displays excellent sensitivity and resist pattern profile, and a method of forming a resist pattern that uses such a resist composition are provided. The resist composition is in accordance with predetermined parameters, or is a positive resist composition comprising a resin component (A) which contains an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group and displays increased alkali solubility under the action of acid, an acid generator component (B), and an organic solvent (C), wherein the component (A) contains a structural unit (a1) derived from a (meth)acrylate ester containing an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group, but contains no structural units (a0), including structural units (a0-1) containing an anhydride of a dicarboxylic acid and structural units (a0-2) containing a phenolic hydroxyl group.

Abstract: A resist composition which is stable relative to solvents used in immersion lithography processes and displays excellent sensitivity and resist pattern profile, and a method of forming a resist pattern that uses such a resist composition are provided. The resist composition is in accordance with predetermined parameters, or is a positive resist composition comprising a resin component (A) which contains an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group and displays increased alkali solubility under the action of acid, an acid generator component (B), and an organic solvent (C), wherein the component (A) contains a structural unit (a1) derived from a (meth)acrylate ester containing an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group, but contains no structural units (a0), including structural units (a0-1) containing an anhydride of a dicarboxylic acid and structural units (a0-2) containing a phenolic hydroxyl group.

Abstract: It is disclosed an over-coating agent for forming fine patterns which is applied to cover a substrate having photoresist patterns thereon and allowed to shrink under heat so that the spacing between the adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened, further characterized by containing a water-soluble polymer and a surfactant. Also disclosed is a method of forming fine-line patterns using the over-coating agent. According to the invention, one can obtain fine-line patterns which exhibit good profiles while satisfying the characteristics required of semiconductor devices, being excellent in controlling the dimension of patterns.

Abstract: Disclosed is a negative resist composition which enables to form a resist pattern with improved shape properties by reducing roughness. Also disclosed is a method for forming a resist pattern using such a negative resist composition. The negative resist composition contains at least an alkali-soluble resin, a crosslinking agent which is crosslinked with the alkali-soluble resin by the action of an acid, and an onium salt as a photoacid generator. The anion component of the onium salt is composed of at least a sulfonate having a polycyclic structure.

Abstract: It is disclosed a method of forming fine patterns comprising: covering a substrate having photoresist patterns with an over-coating agent for forming fine patterns, removing the unwanted over-coating agent that has been deposited on the edge portions and/or the back side of the substrate, applying heat treatment to cause thermal shrinkage of the over-coating agent so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened by the resulting thermal shrinking action, and removing the over-coating agent substantially completely. The invention provides a method of forming fine patterns which has high ability to control pattern dimensions and provide fine patterns that have a satisfactory profile and satisfy the characteristics required of semiconductor devices, with an additional capability of preventing the occurrence of particles which are a potential cause of device contamination.

Abstract: It is disclosed a method of forming fine patterns comprising repeating plural times the following course of steps: covering a substrate having thereon photoresist patterns with an over-coating agent for forming fine patterns, applying heat treatment to cause thermal shrinkage of the over-coating agent so that the spacing between the adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened by the resulting thermal shrinking action, and removing the over-coating agent. The invention provides a method of forming fine patterns which has high ability to control pattern dimensions and provide fine patterns that have a satisfactory profile and satisfy the characteristics required of semiconductor devices, even in the case of employing a substrate having thick-film photoresist patterns in a thickness of about 1.0 ?m or more.

Abstract: It is disclosed an over-coating agent for forming fine-line patterns which is applied to cover a substrate having thereon photoresist patterns and allowed to shrink under heat so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened, with the applied film of the over-coating agent being removed substantially completely to form or define fine trace patterns, further characterized by containing a copolymer or a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol with a water-soluble polymer other than polyvinyl alcohol. Also disclosed is a method of forming fine-line patterns using the over-coating agent. According to the invention, one can effectively increase the shrinkage amount (the amount of heat shrinking) of the agent, thereby achieving a remarkably improved effect of forming or defining fine-line patterns and which also present satisfactory profiles and meet the characteristics required of today's semiconductor devices.

Abstract: A negative resist composition includes a polymer having any one of dicarboxylate monoester compounds represented by the following general formulae (1) and (2) as a monomer component: wherein, R1 and R2 represent alkyl chains having 0 to 8 carbon atoms, R3 represents a substituent having at least two or more alicyclic structures, and R4 and R5 represent hydrogen atoms or alkyl groups having 1 to 8 carbon atoms. A method for forming a resist pattern uses the above negative resist composition. By containing the polymer, a resistance to dry etching and a resistance to electron beam from a scanning electron microscope (SEM) are enhanced as well as a solubility in an alkali developing solution is maintained.

Abstract: A negative resist material for a liquid immersion lithography process containing a resin component and a crosslinker component for this resin component, wherein the crosslinker component is poorly soluble in a liquid immersion medium, and a method for forming a resist pattern by the use thereof are provided. These simultaneously prevent alteration of a resist film and alteration of the liquid used during the liquid immersion lithography and enable to form the resist pattern with high resolution using the liquid immersion lithography. In the liquid immersion lithography process, the resolution of the resist pattern is enhanced by exposing the resist film to light with the intervening liquid with a predetermined thickness whose refractive index is higher than that of air and lower than that of the resist film on at least the resist film in a path of lithography exposure light reaching the resist film.

Abstract: The invention discloses improvements in the so-called coated thermal flow process for reducing the pattern dimension of a patterned resist layer on a substrate to accomplish increased fineness of resist patterning, in which a coating layer of a water-soluble resin formed on the patterned resist layer is heat-treated to effect thermal shrinkage of the coating layer with simultaneous reduction of the pattern dimension followed by removal of the coating layer by washing with water. The improvement of the process is obtained by using an aqueous coating solution admixed with a water-soluble amine compound such as triethanolamine in addition to a water-soluble resin such as a polyacrylic acid-based polymer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel multilayered body for photo-lithographic patterning of a photoresist layer from which a patterned resist layer having an excellent cross sectional profile can be obtained when the multilayered structure comprises, on the surface of a substrate, an underlying water-insoluble anti-reflection film and a negative-working photoresist layer of a specific photoresist composition comprising: (A) 100 parts by weight of an alkali-soluble resin; (B) from 0.5 to 20 parts by weight of an onium salt compound capable of releasing an acid by irradiation with actinic rays; and (C) from 3 to 50 parts by weight of a glycoluril compound substituted by at least one hydroxyalkyl group or alkoxyalkyl group at the N-position.

Abstract: It is disclosed an over-coating agent for forming fine patterns which is applied to cover a substrate having thereon photoresist patterns and allowed to shrink under heat so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened, with the applied film of the over-coating agent being removed substantially completely to form or define fine trace patterns, further characterized by containing a water-soluble polymer and a water-soluble fluorine compound (e.g. a fluoroalkyl alcohol or a fluoroalkyl carboxylic acid). Also disclosed is a method of forming fine-line patterns using the over-coating agent. According to the invention, one can reduce microfoaming and defects to produce fine-line patterns that have good leveling and coating properties and which also present satisfactory profiles and meet the characteristics required of today's semiconductor devices.

Abstract: It is disclosed a method of forming fine patterns comprising: subjecting a substrate having photoresist patterns to a hydrophilic treatment, covering the substrate having photoresist patterns with an over-coating agent for forming fine patterns, applying heat treatment to cause thermal shrinkage of the over-coating agent so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened by the resulting thermal shrinking action, and removing the over-coating agent substantially completely.

Abstract: It is disclosed an over-coating agent for forming fine-line patterns which is applied to cover a substrate having thereon photoresist patterns and allowed to shrink under heat so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened, further characterized by comprising a water-soluble polymer which contains at least methacrylic acid and/or methyl methacrylate as the constitutive monomer thereof. Also disclosed is a method of forming fine-line patterns using the over-coating agent.

Abstract: A negative resist composition is provided which is less likely to swell in an alkali developing solution. An alkali-developable negative resist composition is disclosed comprising a compound (A) which generates an acid upon exposure to radiation, and a resin component (B) which becomes insoluble in alkali under the action of an acid, wherein the component (B) is a resin component containing: (b1) a unit which becomes insoluble in an alkali solution as a result of the formation of a lactone under the action of an acid generated from the component (A), and (b2) a unit having an alcoholic hydroxyl group.

Abstract: It is disclosed an over-coating agent for forming fine patterns which is applied to cover a substrate having thereon photoresist patterns and allowed to shrink under heat so that the spacing between adjacent photoresist patterns is lessened, with the applied film of the over-coating agent being removed substantially completely to form or define fine trace patterns, further characterized by containing either a water-soluble polymer and an amide group-containing monomer or a water-soluble polymer which contains at least (meth)acrylamide as a monomeric component. Also disclosed is a method of forming fine-line patterns using any one of said over-coating agents. According to the invention, the thermal shrinkage of the over-coating agent for forming fine patterns in the heat treatment can be extensively increased, and one can obtain fine-line patterns which exhibit good profiles while satisfying the characteristics required of semiconductor devices.