Abstract: A fluorine-containing polymer for use in a radiation-sensitive resin composition is used for forming a photoresist film in a process of forming a resist pattern, including a liquid immersion lithographic process in which radiation is emitted through a liquid having a refractive index larger than the refractive index of air at a wavelength of 193 nm, and being present between a lens and the photoresist film. The fluorine-containing polymer has a weight average molecular weight determined by gel permeation chromatography in the range from 1,000 to 50,000 and a receding contact angle with water and the photoresist film formed therefrom is 70° or more.

Abstract: An immersion upper layer film composition includes a resin and a solvent. The resin forms a water-stable film during irradiation and is dissolved in a subsequent developer. The solvent contains a monovalent alcohol having 6 or less carbon atoms. The composition is to be applied to form a coat on a photoresist film in an immersion exposure process in which the photoresist film is irradiated through water provided between a lens and the photoresist film.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an apparatus including: one or more needle-like bases enabled to be inserted into the brain; a first electrode having a first impedance and enabling an input of an electric activity of a nucleus with which the first electrode comes into contact; and a second electrode having a second impedance lower than the first impedance and being able to output an electric stimulation to the nucleus, wherein the first electrode is provided at a tip portion of at least one of the bases, and the second electrode is provided on a part of the at least one of the bases at a position identical to a position of at least one of the first electrode or on a proximal side with respect to the first electrode, in a direction along a long axis of the base on which the first electrode is provided.

Abstract: A composition for formation of upper layer film, which is used for forming an upper layer film on the surface of a photoresist film and which comprises a resin (A) having a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (1-1) and not having a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (1-2), and a resin (B) having a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (1-2) and not having a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (1-1). [In the general formulas (1-1) and (1-2), R1 is hydrogen or the like; R2 is single bonds or the like; and R3 is a fluorine-substituted, linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, or the like.] The composition can form an upper layer film giving a sufficiently high receded contact angle.

Abstract: A method for forming a pattern includes providing a first positive-working radiation-sensitive resin composition on a substrate to form a first resist layer. The first positive-working radiation-sensitive resin composition includes a crosslinking agent, a polymer containing an acid-unstable group and not containing a crosslinking group, a radiation-sensitive acid generator, and a solvent. The first resist layer is exposed selectively to radiation, and developed to form a first resist pattern. The first resist pattern is made inactive to radiation, or insolubilized in an alkaline developer or in a second positive-working radiation-sensitive resin composition. The second positive-working radiation-sensitive resin composition is provided on the substrate to form a second resist layer. The second resist layer is exposed selectively to radiation, and developed to form a second resist pattern in the space area of the first resist pattern.

Abstract: A radiation-sensitive resin composition includes (A) an acid labile group-containing resin which becomes alkali-soluble by an action of an acid, (B) a radiation-sensitive acid generator, and (C) a solvent. The resin (A) includes repeating units shown by formulas (1) and (2), wherein R1 and R2 represent a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R3 represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, X represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, or an acyl group, m represents an integer from 1 to 18, and n represents an integer from 4 to 8.

Abstract: A pattern-forming method includes forming a silicon-containing film on a substrate, the silicon-containing film having a mass ratio of silicon atoms to carbon atoms of 2 to 12. A shape transfer target layer is formed on the silicon-containing film. A fine pattern is transferred to the shape transfer target layer using a stamper that has a fine pattern to form a resist pattern. The silicon-containing film and the substrate are dry-etched using the resist pattern as a mask to form a pattern on the substrate in nanoimprint lithography. According to another aspect of the invention, a silicon-containing film includes silicon atoms and carbon atoms. A mass ratio of silicon atoms to carbon atoms is 2 to 12. The silicon-containing film is used for a pattern-forming method employed in nanoimprint lithography.

Abstract: A fluorine-containing polymer for use in a radiation-sensitive resin composition is used for forming a photoresist film in a process of forming a resist pattern, including a liquid immersion lithographic process in which radiation is emitted through a liquid having a refractive index larger than the refractive index of air at a wavelength of 193 nm, and being present between a lens and the photoresist film. The fluorine-containing polymer has a weight average molecular weight determined by gel permeation chromatography in the range from 1,000 to 50,000 and a receding contact angle with water and the photoresist film formed therefrom is 70° or more.

Abstract: A compound is shown by a following formula (1), wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, or a trifluoromethyl group, R2 represents a methylene group, an ethylene group, a 1-methylethylene group, a 2-methylethylene group, a divalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms, or a derivative thereof, each of R3 represents at least one of a monovalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms, a derivative thereof, and a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, provided that two of R3 may bond to form a divalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms or a derivative thereof together with the carbon atom that is bonded thereto, and X represents a linear or branched fluoroalkylene group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms.

Abstract: A composition for forming an upper layer film includes a solvent and a resin component including a first resin having a first repeating unit and a second repeating unit. The first repeating unit is a repeating unit represented by a formula (1-1), a repeating unit represented by a formula (1-2), a repeating unit represented by a formula (1-3), or a combination thereof. The second repeating unit is a repeating unit represented by a formula (2-1), a repeating unit represented by a formula (2-2), or both thereof. The composition is to be used for forming the upper layer film in liquid immersion lithography.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel fluorine-containing polymer, a radiation-sensitive resin composition for liquid immersion lithography which contains the fluorine-containing polymer, which leads to a pattern having an excellent shape and excellent depth of focus, wherein the amount of an eluted component in a liquid for liquid immersion lithography such as water that comes in contact with the resist during exposure in liquid immersion lithography is little, and which provides a larger receding contact angle between the resist film and the liquid for liquid immersion lithography such as water, and a method for purifying the fluorine-containing polymer. The present resin composition comprises a novel fluorine-containing polymer (A) containing repeating units represented by the general formulae (1) and (2) and having Mw of 1,000-50,000, a resin (B) having an acid-unstable group, a radiation-sensitive acid generator (C), a nitrogen-containing compound (D) and a solvent (E).

Abstract: A first controller stores externally input data to a memory of the first controller, reads data stored in the memory of the first controller and transmits the data to a second controller through a first controller bridge, detects a failure at the first controller bridge in transmission of the data. The second controller receives the data through a second controller bridge, writes the received data into a memory of the second controller, and determines whether the failure is caused by the first controller if a failure occurs in the memory controller and the second controller bridge. If a failure is detected in the first controller and the second controller and the failure is caused by the first controller, the first controller transmits the data causing the failure during transmission through the first controller bridge and the second controller receives the data through the second controller bridge.

Abstract: A compound has a following general formula (1). R0 represents an (n+1)-valent linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or the like. R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, or a trifluoromethyl group. R2 represents a single bond or the like. R3 represent a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or the like. X represents a linear or branched fluoroalkylene group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and n is an integer from 1 to 5.

Abstract: An upper layer film forming composition for forming an upper layer film on the surface of a photoresist film includes (A) a resin dissolvable in a developer for the photoresist film and (B) a compound having a sulfonic acid residue group, the composition forming an upper layer film with a receding contact angle to water of 70° or more. The upper layer film forming composition of the present invention can form an upper layer film which has a sufficient transparency and is stably maintained without eluting the components into a medium without being intermixed with a photoresist film, can form a resist pattern with high resolution while effectively suppressing a defect, and can suppress a blob defect.

Abstract: A radiation-sensitive resin composition includes a first polymer including a repeating unit represented by a following formula (I). X+ is an onium cation. X+ in the formula (I) is preferably an onium cation represented by a following formula (1-1), an onium cation represented by a following formula (1-2) or a combination thereof.

Abstract: An upper layer-forming composition includes a resin, and a solvent. The resin is dissolvable in a developer for a photoresist film which is to be covered by the upper layer-forming composition to form a pattern by exposure to radiation. The solvent dissolves the resin in the solvent. The solvent includes a compound shown by a formula (1). Each of R1 and R2 independently represents a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or a halogenated hydrocarbon group.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a composition for forming an upper layer film for immersion exposure capable of forming an upper layer film effectively inhibited from developing defects through an immersion exposure process, such as a watermark defect and dissolution residue defect. Also provided are an upper layer film for immersion exposure and a method of forming a resist pattern. The composition for forming an upper layer film includes a resin ingredient and a solvent. The resin ingredient includes a resin (A) having at least one kind of repeating units selected among those represented by the formulae (1-1) to (1-3) and at least either of the two kinds of repeating units represented by the formulae (2-1) and (2-2).

Abstract: A radiation-sensitive resin composition includes a first polymer, a second polymer and a radiation-sensitive acid generator. The first polymer has a structure unit represented by a following formula (1-1), a structure unit represented by a following formula (1-2), or both thereof, and has a content of fluorine atoms of no less than 5% by mass to a total mass of the first polymer. The second polymer has an acid-dissociable group, and has a content of fluorine atoms of less than 5% by mass to a total mass of the second polymer.

Abstract: An immersion upper layer film composition includes a resin and a solvent. The resin forms a water-stable film during irradiation and is dissolved in a subsequent developer. The solvent contains a monovalent alcohol having 6 or less carbon atoms. The composition is to be applied to form a coat on a photoresist film in an immersion exposure process in which the photoresist film is irradiated through water provided between a lens and the photoresist film.

Abstract: A multi-core processor which includes a plurality of processor dies. The multi-core processor has a first processor core which processes a first task and a second processor core which processes a second task. The first processor core and the second processor core are formed on each of the plurality of processor dies. When the first processor core makes a request for the second task processing in processing the first task, information on the second task is stored in a memory area used by the first processor core and interrupt notification is made to each of the second processor cores provided respectively on the plurality of processor dies. Each of the second processor cores having received the interrupt notification accesses the memory area used by the first processor core provided on the same processor die as the processor die on which the second processor core is provided.