Patents by Inventor Xisen Hou

Xisen Hou has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11852972
    Abstract: A photoresist composition, comprising an acid-sensitive polymer comprising a repeating unit having an acid-labile group; an iodonium salt comprising an anion and a cation, the iodonium salt having Formula (1): wherein Z? is an organic anion; Ar1 is substituted or unsubstituted C4-60 heteroaryl group comprising a furan heterocycle; and R1 is substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group as provided herein, wherein the cation optionally comprises an acid-labile group, wherein Ar1 and R1 are optionally connected to each other via a single bond or one or more divalent linking groups to form a ring, and wherein the iodonium salt is optionally covalently bonded through Ar1 or substituent thereof as a pendant group to a polymer, the iodonium salt is optionally covalently bonded through R1 or substituent thereof as a pendant group to a polymer, or the iodonium salt is optionally covalently bonded through Z? as a pendant group to a polymer; and a solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: ROHM AND HAAS ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LLC
    Inventors: Tomas Marangoni, Emad Aqad, James W. Thackeray, James F. Cameron, Xisen Hou, ChoongBong Lee
  • Patent number: 11796916
    Abstract: A pattern formation method, comprising: (a) providing a semiconductor substrate; (b) forming a photoresist pattern over the semiconductor substrate, wherein the photoresist pattern is formed from a photoresist composition comprising: a first polymer comprising acid labile groups; and a photoacid generator; (c) coating a pattern overcoat composition over the photoresist pattern, wherein the pattern overcoat composition comprises a second polymer and an organic solvent, wherein the organic solvent comprises one or more ester solvents, wherein the ester solvent is of the formula R1—C(O)O—R2, wherein R1 is a C3-C6 alkyl group and R2 is a C5-C10 alkyl group; (d) baking the coated photoresist pattern; and (e) rinsing the coated photoresist pattern with a rinsing agent to remove the second polymer. The methods find particular applicability in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: ROHM AND HAAS ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LLC
    Inventors: Xisen Hou, Cong Liu, Irvinder Kaur
  • Patent number: 11754927
    Abstract: Photoresist pattern trimming compositions comprise a polymer, an aromatic sulfonic acid, and an organic-based solvent system, wherein the aromatic sulfonic acid is of general formula (I): wherein: Ar1 represents an aromatic group; R1 independently represents a halogen atom, hydroxy, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted carbocyclic aryl, substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic aryl, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy, or a combination thereof, wherein adjacent R1 groups together optionally form a fused ring structure with Ar1; a represents an integer of 2 or more; and b represents an integer of 1 or more, provided that a+b is at least 3 and is not greater than the total number of available aromatic carbon atoms of Ar1, and two or more of R1 are independently a fluorine atom or a fluoroalkyl group bonded directly to an aromatic ring carbon atom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: ROHM AND HAAS ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LLC
    Inventors: Irvinder Kaur, Colin Liu, Xisen Hou, Kevin Rowell, Mingqi Li, Cheng-Bai Xu
  • Patent number: 11506981
    Abstract: Photoresist pattern trimming compositions comprise a polymer, an aromatic sulfonic acid, and an organic-based solvent system, wherein the polymer comprises polymerized units of general formulas (I) and (II): wherein: X independently represents a halogen atom; Q represents a single bond, —O—, or —C(O)O—; R1 independently represents hydrogen, a halogen atom, C1-C12 alkyl or C1-C12 fluoroalkyl; R2 represents C1-C3 alkyl or C1-C3 fluoroalkyl; and m is an integer from 0 to 4; and wherein the polymerized units of general formula (I) are present in the polymer in an amount of 10 to 90 mol % and the polymerized units of general formula (II) are present in the polymer in an amount from 10 to 60 mol %, based on total polymerized units of the polymer. The photoresist pattern trimming compositions and their use in pattern formation methods find particular applicability in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: ROHM AND HAAS ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LLC
    Inventors: Xisen Hou, Irvinder Kaur, Cong Liu, Mingqi Li, Kevin Rowell, Cheng-Bai Xu
  • Publication number: 20220137506
    Abstract: A photoresist composition, comprising an acid-sensitive polymer comprising a repeating unit having an acid-labile group; an iodonium salt comprising an anion and a cation, the iodonium salt having Formula (1): wherein Z? is an organic anion; Ar1 is substituted or unsubstituted C4-60 heteroaryl group comprising a furan heterocycle; and R1 is substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group as provided herein, wherein the cation optionally comprises an acid-labile group, wherein Ar1 and R1 are optionally connected to each other via a single bond or one or more divalent linking groups to form a ring, and wherein the iodonium salt is optionally covalently bonded through Ar1 or substituent thereof as a pendant group to a polymer, the iodonium salt is optionally covalently bonded through R1 or substituent thereof as a pendant group to a polymer, or the iodonium salt is optionally covalently bonded through Z? as a pendant group to a polymer; and a solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Tomas Marangoni, Emad Aqad, James W. Thackeray, James F. Cameron, Xisen Hou, ChoongBong Lee
  • Publication number: 20220137509
    Abstract: Photoresist compositions comprise: an acid-sensitive polymer comprising a first repeating unit formed from a first free radical polymerizable monomer comprising an acid-decomposable group and a second repeating unit formed from a second free radical polymerizable monomer comprising a carboxylic acid group; a compound comprising two or more enol ether groups, wherein the compound is different from the acid-sensitive polymer; a material comprising a base-labile group; a photoacid generator; and a solvent. The photoresist compositions and pattern formation methods using the photoresist compositions find particular use in the formation of fine lithographic patterns in the semiconductor manufacturing industry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Xisen Hou, Mingqi Li, Joshua Kaitz, Tomas Marangoni, Peter Trefonas, III
  • Patent number: 11267979
    Abstract: Fluorescent dyes, ink compositions comprising the dyes, methods and devices for printing the ink compositions, images printed using the ink compositions and methods for authenticating the printed images are provided. The fluorescent dyes are heterorotaxanes that include large macrocyclic rings around fluorophores and are capable of emitting solid-state fluorescence. When the heterorotaxanes are combined with encapsulating agents and competitive binding agents in aqueous solution, the resulting ink composition exhibits a complex, dynamic equilibrium that provides a tunable fluorescence emission spectrum with a non-linear response to the dye concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignees: Northwestern University, Innotune LLC
    Inventors: James Fraser Stoddart, Xisen Hou, Chenfeng Ke, Roger B. Pettman
  • Publication number: 20210232047
    Abstract: A pattern formation method, comprising: (a) providing a semiconductor substrate; (b) forming a photoresist pattern over the semiconductor substrate, wherein the photoresist pattern is formed from a photoresist composition comprising: a first polymer comprising acid labile groups; and a photoacid generator; (c) coating a pattern overcoat composition over the photoresist pattern, wherein the pattern overcoat composition comprises a second polymer and an organic solvent, wherein the organic solvent comprises one or more ester solvents, wherein the ester solvent is of the formula R1—C(O)O—R2, wherein R1 is a C3-C6 alkyl group and R2 is a C5-C10 alkyl group; (d) baking the coated photoresist pattern; and (e) rinsing the coated photoresist pattern with a rinsing agent to remove the second polymer. The methods find particular applicability in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Xisen Hou, Cong Liu, Irvinder Kaur
  • Publication number: 20210200081
    Abstract: Pattern formation methods comprise: (a) forming an underlayer on a substrate, wherein the underlayer has a thickness of 5 microns or more; (b) forming a photoresist layer on the underlayer, wherein the photoresist layer is formed from a photoresist composition comprising a silicon-containing polymer, a photoacid generator, and a solvent, wherein the silicon-containing polymer comprises as polymerized units a monomer of formula (I): wherein: R1 is independently chosen from H, F, OH, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 haloalkyl, C1-C6 hydroxy-haloalkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy, or C1-C6 haloalkoxy; R2 is independently chosen from H or F; R3 is independently chosen from H, F, CH3, CF3, CHF2, or CH2F; comprises an acid cleavable group; and m is an integer from 0 to 2; (c) patternwise exposing the photoresist layer to activating radiation; (d) developing the exposed photoresist layer to form a photoresist pattern; and (f) transferring the pattern of the photoresist pattern into the underlayer using the photoresist pattern as an etch mas
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Cheng-Bai XU, Cong Liu, James Field Cameron, Jae-Bong Lim, Xisen Hou, Jae-Hwan Sim
  • Patent number: 11003074
    Abstract: A pattern formation method, comprising: (a) providing a semiconductor substrate; (b) forming a photoresist pattern over the semiconductor substrate, wherein the photoresist pattern is formed from a photoresist composition comprising: a first polymer comprising acid labile groups; and a photoacid generator; (c) coating a pattern overcoat composition over the photoresist pattern, wherein the pattern overcoat composition comprises a second polymer and an organic solvent, wherein the organic solvent comprises one or more ester solvents, wherein the ester solvent is of the formula R1—C(O)O—R2, wherein R1 is a C3-C6 alkyl group and R2 is a C5-C10 alkyl group; (d) baking the coated photoresist pattern; and (e) rinsing the coated photoresist pattern with a rinsing agent to remove the second polymer. The methods find particular applicability in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials LLC
    Inventors: Xisen Hou, Cong Liu, Irvinder Kaur
  • Publication number: 20200377713
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a polymer comprising a first repeat unit and a second repeat unit, where the first repeat unit contains an acid labile group and where the second repeat unit has the structure of formula (1): wherein R1, R2 and R3 are each independently hydrogen, a halogen, a substituted or unsubstituted C1 to C12 alkyl group or C3 to C12 cycloalkyl group optionally containing an ether group, a carbonyl group, an ester group, a carbonate group, an amine group, an amide group, a urea group, a sulfate group, a sulfone group, a sulfoxide group, an N-oxide group, a sulfonate group, a sulfonamide group, or a combination thereof, a substituted or unsubstituted C6 to C14 aryl group, or C3 to C12 heteroaryl group, wherein the substitution is halogen, hydroxyl, cyano, nitro, C1 to C12 alkyl group, C1 to C12 haloalkyl group, C1 to C12 alkoxy group, C3 to C12 cycloalkyl group, amino, C2-C6 alkanoyl, carboxamido, a substituted or unsubstituted C6 to C14 aryl group, or C3 to C12 heteroaryl group; wherein R1 and R2
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Joshua Kaitz, Xisen Hou, Mingqi Li, Tomas Marangoni, Emad Aqad, Yang Song
  • Publication number: 20200379351
    Abstract: Photoresist pattern trimming compositions comprise a polymer, an aromatic sulfonic acid, and an organic-based solvent system, wherein the polymer comprises polymerized units of general formulas (I) and (II): wherein: X independently represents a halogen atom; Q represents a single bond, —O—, or —C(O)O—; R1 independently represents hydrogen, a halogen atom, C1-C12 alkyl or C1-C12 fluoroalkyl; R2 represents C1-C3 alkyl or C1-C3 fluoroalkyl; and m is an integer from 0 to 4; and wherein the polymerized units of general formula (I) are present in the polymer in an amount of 10 to 90 mol % and the polymerized units of general formula (II) are present in the polymer in an amount from 10 to 60 mol %, based on total polymerized units of the polymer. The photoresist pattern trimming compositions and their use in pattern formation methods find particular applicability in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Xisen Hou, Irvinder Kaur, Cong Liu, Mingqi Li, Kevin Rowell, Cheng-Bai Xu
  • Publication number: 20200379353
    Abstract: Photoresist pattern trimming compositions comprise a polymer, an aromatic sulfonic acid, and an organic-based solvent system, wherein the aromatic sulfonic acid is of general formula (I): wherein: Ar1 represents an aromatic group; R1 independently represents a halogen atom, hydroxy, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted carbocyclic aryl, substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic aryl, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy, or a combination thereof, wherein adjacent R1 groups together optionally form a fused ring structure with Ar1; a represents an integer of 2 or more; and b represents an integer of 1 or more, provided that a+b is at least 3 and is not greater than the total number of available aromatic carbon atoms of Ar1, and two or more of R1 are independently a fluorine atom or a fluoroalkyl group bonded directly to an aromatic ring carbon atom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Irvinder KAUR, Colin LIU, Xisen Hou, Kevin Rowell, Mingqi LI, Cheng-Bai Xu
  • Publication number: 20200356001
    Abstract: A photoresist composition, including a polymer having a C6-30 hydroxyaromatic group, a solvent, and a sulfonium salt having Formula (I): wherein, in Formula (I), R, R1 to R8, X, n, and Rf are the same as described in the specification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Tomas Marangoni, Mingqi Li, Jong Keun Park, Emad Aqad, Xisen Hou, James F. Cameron
  • Patent number: 10684549
    Abstract: Pattern-formation methods comprise: (a) providing a substrate; (b) forming a photoresist pattern over the substrate; (c) applying a pattern treatment composition to the photoresist pattern, the pattern treatment composition comprising a solvent mixture comprising a first organic solvent and a second organic solvent, wherein the first organic solvent has a boiling point that is greater than a boiling point of the second organic solvent, and wherein the first organic solvent has a boiling point of 210° C. or more; and (d) thereafter heating the photoresist pattern. The methods find particular applicability in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Rowell, Cong Liu, Cheng Bai Xu, Irvinder Kaur, Xisen Hou, Mingqi Li
  • Publication number: 20190204741
    Abstract: Photoresist topcoat compositions comprise: an aqueous base soluble polymer comprising as polymerized units a monomer of the following general formula (I): wherein: R1 is chosen from H, halogen atom, C1-C3 alkyl, or C1-C3 haloalkyl; R2 is independently chosen from substituted or unsubstituted C1-C12 alkyl or substituted or unsubstituted C5-C18 aryl; R3 and R4 are independently H, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C12 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C5-C18 aryl; X is a C2-C6 substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group; wherein X can optionally comprise one or more rings and together with R2 can optionally form a ring; L1 is a single bond or a linking group; p is an integer of from 1 to 50; and q is an integer of from 1 to 5; and a solvent. Substrates coated with the described topcoat compositions and methods of processing a photoresist composition are also provided. The invention finds particular applicability in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Inventors: Joshua A. Kaitz, Chunyi Wu, Irvinder Kaur, Mingqi Li, Doris Kang, Xisen Hou, Cong Liu
  • Publication number: 20190203065
    Abstract: Photoresist topcoat compositions, comprising: a first polymer that is aqueous base soluble and is present in an amount of from 70 to 99 wt % based on total solids of the composition; a second polymer comprising a repeat unit of general formula (IV) and a repeat unit of general formula (V): wherein: R5 independently represents H, halogen atom, C1-C3 alkyl, or C1-C3 haloalkyl; R6 represents linear, branched or cyclic C1 to C20 fluoroalkyl; R7 represents linear, branched or cyclic C1 to C20 fluoroalkyl; L3 represents a multivalent linking group; and m is an integer of from 1 to 5; wherein the second polymer is free of non-fluorinated side chains; and wherein the second polymer is present in an amount of from 1 to 30 wt % based on total solids of the composition and a solvent. The invention finds particular applicability in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Inventors: Irvinder Kaur, Chunyi Wu, Joshua A. Kaitz, Mingqi Li, Doris Kang, Xisen Hou, Cong Liu
  • Publication number: 20190169456
    Abstract: Fluorescent dyes, ink compositions comprising the dyes, methods and devices for printing the ink compositions, images printed using the ink compositions and methods for authenticating the printed images are provided. The fluorescent dyes are heterorotaxanes that include large macrocyclic rings around fluorophores and are capable of emitting solid-state fluorescence. When the heterorotaxanes are combined with encapsulating agents and competitive binding agents in aqueous solution, the resulting ink composition exhibits a complex, dynamic equilibrium that provides a tunable fluorescence emission spectrum with a non-linear response to the dye concentration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicants: Northwestern University, Innotune LLC
    Inventors: James Fraser Stoddart, Xisen Hou, Chenfeng Ke, Roger B. Pettman
  • Publication number: 20180314155
    Abstract: A pattern formation method, comprising: (a) providing a semiconductor substrate; (b) forming a photoresist pattern over the semiconductor substrate, wherein the photoresist pattern is formed from a photoresist composition comprising: a first polymer comprising acid labile groups; and a photoacid generator; (c) coating a pattern overcoat composition over the photoresist pattern, wherein the pattern overcoat composition comprises a second polymer and an organic solvent, wherein the organic solvent comprises one or more ester solvents, wherein the ester solvent is of the formula R1—C(O)O—R2, wherein R1 is a C3-C6 alkyl group and R2 is a C5-C10 alkyl group; (d) baking the coated photoresist pattern; and (e) rinsing the coated photoresist pattern with a rinsing agent to remove the second polymer. The methods find particular applicability in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Inventors: Xisen Hou, Cong Liu, Irvinder Kaur
  • Publication number: 20180188654
    Abstract: Pattern-formation methods comprise: (a) providing a substrate; (b) forming a photoresist pattern over the substrate; (c) applying a pattern treatment composition to the photoresist pattern, the pattern treatment composition comprising a solvent mixture comprising a first organic solvent and a second organic solvent, wherein the first organic solvent has a boiling point that is greater than a boiling point of the second organic solvent, and wherein the first organic solvent has a boiling point of 210° C. or more; and (d) thereafter heating the photoresist pattern. The methods find particular applicability in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: Kevin Rowell, Cong Liu, Cheng Bai Xu, Irvinder Kaur, Xisen Hou, Mingqi Li