Abstract: Proposed is an aqueous alkaline developer solution used in the development treatment of a photoresist layer, especially, formed on an aluminum surface of a substrate. Different from conventional aqueous alkaline developer solutions which attack the aluminum surface in the development treatment to cause discoloration or corrosion, the inventive developer solution is free from such troubles by virtue of the specific formulation including, besides 2 to 10% by weight of tetramethylammonium hydroxide as the effective developing ingredient, 20 to 50% by weight of a polyhydric alcohol which is preferably glycerin.

Abstract: Proposed is a novel chemical sensitization-type positive-working photoresist composition used for the photolithographic patterning works in the manufacture of semiconductor devices exhibiting an excellent halation-preventing effect in the patternwise exposure to light. The composition comprises, in addition to conventional ingredients including an acid-generating agent capable of releasing an acid by the irradiation with actinic rays and a resinous ingredient capable of being imparted with increased solubility in an aqueous alkaline developer solution in the presence of an acid, a unique halation inhibitor which is an esterification product between a specified phenolic compound and a naphthoquinone-1,2-diazide sulfonic acid.

Abstract: A positive photoresist composition comprising (A) an alkali-soluble resin; (B) a quinonediazido group containing compound; and (C) at least one sulfonyl halide represented by the following general formula (I):R.sup.1 --SO.sub.2 --X (I)where R.sup.1 is an alkyl group, a substituted alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group or a substituted aryl group; X is a halogen atom, as well as a multilayer resist material using this composition. Very fine (<0.4 .mu.m) resist patterns can be formed that have high feature or edge integrity, that provide good contrast between exposed and unexposed areas after development and that assure a wider margin of exposure, better depth-of-focus characteristics and sharper cross-sectional profiles.

Abstract: A polyhydroxystyrene where from 10 to 60 mol % of the hydroxyl groups have been substituted by tert-butoxycarbonyloxy groups.

Abstract: Proposed is a novel chemical-sensitization positive-working photoresist composition suitable for fine patterning of a resist layer in the manufacture of electronic devices. The composition is advantageous in various properties of photoresist composition without little dependency on the nature of the substrate surface, on which the photoresist layer is formed, with or without an antireflection undercoating layer. The most characteristic ingredient in the inventive composition is the film-forming resinous ingredient which is a combination of a first polyhydroxystyrene resin substituted by tetrahydropyranyl groups for the hydroxyl groups and a second hydroxystyrene resin substituted by alkoxyalkyl groups for the hydroxyl groups in a specified weight proportion of the first and second resins.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel and improved photoresist composition which comprises:(A) a film-forming resinous compound which is, in the presence of an acid, subject to a change in the solubility in an alkaline solution; and(B) an acid-generating agent capable of releasing an acid by the exposure to actinic rays which is an oxime sulfonate compound represented by the general formulaNC--CR.sup.1 .dbd.N--O--SO.sub.2 --R.sup.2,in which R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are, each independently from the other, an unsubstituted or halogen-substituted monovalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group, e.g., alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl and cycloalkenyl groups.

Abstract: The improved photoresist stripping liquid composition comprises (a) 2-30 wt % of a hydroxylamine, (b) 2-35 wt % of water, (c) 2-20 wt % of an amine having an acid dissociation constant (pKa) of 7.5-13 in aqueous solution at 25.degree. C., (d) 35-80 wt % of a water-soluble organic solvent and (e) 2-20 wt % of a corrosion inhibitor and the. method using this composition are capable of not only efficient removal of modified photoresist films that have been formed by dry etching, ashing, ion implantation and other treatments under hostile conditions but also effective prevention of the corrosion that would otherwise occur in substrates irrespective of whether they are overlaid with Al or Al alloy layers or Ti layers.

Abstract: Proposed is a coating solution for the formation of a silica-based coating film on the surface of a substrate used in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices as well as a method for the coating solution, which exhibits excellent storage stability without gelation and is capable of forming a silica-based coating film free from the troubles due to evolution of gases such as crack formation even when the coating film has a relatively large thickness. The coating solution is prepared by the hydrolysis reaction of a trialkoxy silane such as triethoxy silane dissolved in propyleneglycol dimethyl ether in a specified concentration with addition of a specified amount of water followed by removal of the alcohol formed by the hydrolysis reaction of the trialkoxy silane by distillation to such an extent that the content of the alcohol in the coating solution does not exceed 10% by weight or, preferably, 3% by weight.

Abstract: A remover solution composition for resist which comprises (a) a salt of hydrofluoric acid with a metal-free base, (b) a water-soluble organic solvent, and (c) water and optionally (d) an anticorrosive, and has a pH of 5 to 8. A method for removing resist which comprises the steps of (I) forming a resist layer on a substrate having a metal film, (II) light-exposing the resist layer through a mask pattern and subsequently developing the resist layer to form a resist pattern, and (III) dry-etching the substrate using the resist pattern as a mask and then removing the unnecessary resist and modified resist film with the remover solution composition.

Abstract: A liquid coating composition for forming an anti-interference film over a photoresist film is prepared by combining a water-soluble, film-forming component with a specified fluorosurfactant or by combining said water-soluble, film-forming component with a fluorosurfactant and a specified anionic surfactant. A coating film is formed from said liquid coating composition over a photoresist film to produce a photoresist material of a dual structure. The photoresist material is particularly effective in lessening the multiple-interference effect of light, thereby enabling the formation of very fine resist patterns having high fidelity to mask patterns.

Abstract: Proposed is a novel positive-working photoresist composition of the chemical sensitization type capable of giving a finely patterned resist layer having an excellent cross sectional profile even for a discretely isolated pattern with high sensitivity and high resolution. The composition comprises, besides (a) a compound generating an acid by the irradiation with actinic rays, (b) a resinous ingredient capable of being imparted with increased solubility in an alkaline developer solution in the presence of an acid and (c) an organic solvent which is a ketone, ether or ester as the basic ingredients of the chemical sensitization type photoresist compositions, (d) an N,N-dialkyl carboxylic acid amide such as N,N-dimethyl formamide and N,N-dimethyl acetamide in a specified proportion relative to the component (b).

Abstract: Proposed is a coating solution for the formation of a silica-based coating film on the surface of a substrate used in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices as well as a method for the coating solution, which exhibits excellent storage stability without gelation and is capable of forming a silica-based coating film free from the troubles due to evolution of gases such as crack formation even when the coating film has a relatively large thickness. The coating solution is prepared by the hydrolysis reaction of a trialkoxy silane such as triethoxy silane dissolved in propyleneglycol dimethyl ether in a specified concentration with addition of a specified amount of water followed by removal of the alcohol formed by the hydrolysis reaction of the trialkoxy silane by distillation to such an extent that the content of the alcohol in the coating solution does not exceed 10% by weight or, preferably, 3% by weight.

Abstract: Proposed is a novel undercoating composition used in the photolithographic patterning of a photoresist layer by intervening between the substrate surface and the photoresist layer to decrease the adverse influences of the reflecting light from the substrate surface. The undercoating composition of the invention comprises (a) a melamine compound substituted by methylol groups and/or alkoxymethyl groups and (b) a polyhydroxy benzophenone compound, diphenyl sulfone compound or diphenyl sulfoxide compound, optionally, with admixture of (c) an alkali-insoluble resin of a (meth)acrylic acid ester.

Abstract: Stock developer solutions for photoresists contain an organic base free from metal ions and at least one compound having a specified weight average molecular weight that is selected from among polyethylene oxide compounds, polypropylene oxide compounds and ethylene oxide/propylene oxide adducts. The stock developer solutions may be diluted to requisite concentrations to prepare developer solutions for photoresists. By adding one or more of the specified compounds to the organic base free from metal ions, one can produce highly compatible stock developer solutions for photoresists that are concentrated, that have high stability in quality and that permit ease in handling and quality control. The stock developer solutions may be diluted to prepare developer solutions that are small in the tendency to foam and effective in defoaming, that assure uniform wetting and that are capable of forming resist patterns faithful to mask patterns.

Abstract: Stock developer solutions for photoresists contain an organic base free from metal ions and at least one compound having a specified weight average molecular weight that is selected from among polyethylene oxide compounds, polypropylene oxide compounds and ethylene oxide/propylene oxide adducts. The stock developer solutions may be diluted to requisite concentrations to prepare developer solutions for photoresists. By adding one or more of the specified compounds to the organic base free from metal ions, one can produce highly compatible stock developer solutions for photoresists that are concentrated, that have high stability in quality and that permit ease in handling and quality control. The stock developer solutions may be diluted to prepare developer solutions that are small in the tendency to foam and effective in defoaming, that assure uniform wetting and that are capable of forming resist patterns faithful to mask patterns.

Abstract: The present invention provides a positive photoresist composition exhibiting superior sensitivity, definition and thermostability, and in addition, having excellent focal depth range properties. The positive photoresist composition comprises (A) an alkali-soluble resin; (B) a quinonediazide group-containing compound; and (C), for example, bis(4-hydroxy-2,3,5-trimethylphenyl)-2-hydroxyphenylmethane.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved, chemically-amplifying positive resist composition for radiations, especially UV rays, deep-UV rays, excimer laser beams, X-rays, electron beams. The composition comprises (A) a resin component whose solubility in an alkaline aqueous solution is increased by the action of acids, (B) a compound which generates an acid when exposed to radiations, and (A) a resin component, (B) an acid-generating agent and (C) an organic carboxylic acid compound, in which said resin component (A) is a mixture comprising (a) a polyhydroxystyrene where from 10 to 60 mol % of the hydroxyl groups have been substituted by residues of a general formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R.sup.2 represents a methyl group or an ethyl group, and R.sup.3 represents a lower alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms;and (b) a polyhydroxystyrene where from 10 to 60 mol % of the hydroxyl groups have been substituted by tert-butoxycarbonyloxy groups.

Abstract: A positive photoresist composition comprising (A) an alkali-soluble resin and (B) a light-sensitive component comprising at least one compound represented by the following general formula (I): ##STR1## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are each independently a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1-3 carbon atoms or an alkoxy group having 1-3 carbon atoms; R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1-3 carbon atoms; a, b and c are an integer of 1-3; l, m and n are an integer of 1-3, in which at least part of the hydroxyl groups present are esterified with a quinonediazidosulfonic acid and a sulfonic acid which has a group represented by the following formula (II):--SO.sub.2 --R.sup.5 (II)where R.sup.

Abstract: Disclosed is a class of novel cyanooxime sulfonate compounds represented by the general formulaNC--CR.sup.1 .dbd.N--O--SO.sub.2 --R.sup.2,in which R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are, each independently from the other, an unsubstituted or halogen-substituted monovalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group selected from the group consisting of alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl and cycloalkenyl groups. The group R.sup.1 is preferably a cycloalkenyl group, e.g. 1-cyclopentenyl or 1-cyclohexenyl group, and R.sup.2 is preferably a lower alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. The compound releases an acid by the irradiation with ultraviolet light and is useful as an acid generating agent in an acid-sensitive photoresist composition.

Abstract: A positive photoresist composition comprising: (A) an alkali-soluble resin; (B) a quinone diazide group-containing compound; and (C) at least one compound selected from the polyhydroxy compounds, such as 1,3-bis?2-(5-cyclohexyl-2-methyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-propyl!benzene. The composition of the present invention exhibits excellent image contrast between exposed portions and unexposed portions, and actualizes formation of a resist pattern with excellent resolution, exposure range, and focal depth range.