Abstract: A laminate comprising at least one non-fibrous adhesive layer positioned between a plurality of substrates, the non-fibrous adhesive layer comprising a stereo reticulated, continuous, non-fibrous matrix formed from a polymeric material. A process for producing such a stereo reticulated non-fibrous adhesive matrix comprising: a) blending an adhesive polymer with a blowing agent, b) melting the adhesive polymer/blowing agent blend while passing the molten polymer/blowing agent blend through an extruder to a shaping die and thereby producing a non-fibrous extrudate, c) cooling, drawing and orienting the non-fibrous extrudate, and thereby producing a continuous, stereo reticulated non-fibrous adhesive matrix.

Abstract: Hybrid sol-gel materials are provided, which may be produced by the reaction of an alkyl or dialkyl substituted trialkoxysilane or dialkoxysilane reacting with a silane diol, wherein said alkyl group has from 1 to 8 carbon atoms. A process is also provided for patterning the sol-gel spin-on glass material by: a) coating a substrate with the spin-on glass material; b) exposing the coated substrate of step a) to UV illumination in a desired pattern; c) post-exposure baking the coated substrate of step b) at a temperature from 100° C. to 120° C. for 30 to 60 minutes; d) cooling the coated substrate of step c) to room temperature; e) removing the non-exposed areas of the coating on the coated substrate of step d); f) drying the coated substrate of step e); g) hard baking the coated substrate of step f) at a temperature from 120° C. and 150° C. for 1 to 3 hours.

Abstract: The subject invention relates to the fabrication of micro-optical structures in a glass-like transparent material using conventional photolithography processing steps. The glass-like material is a spin-on glass (SOG) material, which behaves like a negative-tone photoresist, and has high quality optical properties similar to those of glass. The present invention can take advantage of gray scale photomasks to illuminate the uncured spin-on material with various illumination intensities, thus resulting in variations in resultant film thickness of the SOG material after the chemical development step. This results in micro-optical structures that can be fabricated with the desired shapes, depending on the transmission characteristics of each region of the gray scale photomask.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device having a flexible substrate and an optical interconnect (i.e. waveguide) comprising a sol-gel based material formed on the substrate. The sol-gel based waveguide is capable of being integrated into an all-optical system and provides for greater interconnect distance and lower signal loss. Other sol-gel based optical devices, such as filters, optical source, detectors, sensors, switches and the like, will be implemented in conjunction with the sol-gel based waveguides to provide for an integrated optical system. Methods of formulating the sol-gel based material and methods for fabricating the sol-gel based devices are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention claims a unique way to pattern an optical microstructure immediately on top of a mass produced light-emitting device, such as a light emitting diode (LED), a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) or a photo detector, for the purpose of efficient coupling of light to or from the active region of the light-emitting device. The invention addresses the need to effectively and efficiently extract light from the light-emitting optoelectronic device. Finally, the invention allows for the optical microstructure to be deposited and patterned directly over the light-emitting device contained on a suitable substrate, such as a wafer.

Abstract: A chemically-amplified, negative-acting, radiation-sensitive photoresist composition that is developable in an alkaline medium, the photoresist comprising: a) a phenolic film-forming polymeric binder resin having ring bonded hydroxyl groups; b) a photoacid generator that forms an acid upon exposure to radiation, in an amount sufficient to initiate crosslinking of the film-forming binder resin; c) a crosslinking agent that forms a carbonium ion upon exposure to the acid from step b) generated by exposure to radiation, and which comprises an etherified aminoplast polymer or oligomer; d) a second crosslinking agent that forms a carbonium ion upon exposure to the acid from step b) generated by exposure to radiation, and which comprises either 1) a hydroxy substituted- or 2) a hydroxy C1-C4 alkyl substituted-C1-C12 alkyl phenol, wherein the total amount of the crosslinking agents from steps c) and d) is an effective crosslinking amount; and e) a photoresist solvent, and a process for producing a microelectro

Abstract: A water-soluble resin composition comprising (1) a water-soluble resin, (2) a water-soluble crosslinking agent, (3) at least one of surface active agents selected from acetylene alcohols, acetylene glycols, polyethoxylates of acetylene alcohols and polyethoxylates of acetylene glycols, and (4) a solvent consisting of water or a mixture of water and a water-soluble solvent. This water-soluble resin composition is applied onto a resist pattern, then heated to crosslink by an acid supplied from the resist, followed by development to remove the non-crosslinked water-soluble resin coating layer. This water-soluble resin composition is excellent in coating characteristics on steps of resist patterns and in dimensional regulation upon fining of patterns so that resist patterns such as trench patterns and hole patterns can effectively be fined.

Abstract: An edge bead remover for a photoresist composition disposed as a film on a surface, consisting essentially of a solvent mixture comprising from about 50 to about 80 parts by weight, based on the weight of the solvent mixture, of at least one di(C1-C3)alkyl carbonate and from about 20 to about 50 parts by weight, based on the weight of the solvent mixture, of cyclopentanone. A method is also provided for treating a photoresist composition film disposed on a surface which method comprises contacting the photoresist composition with a solvent mixture, in an amount sufficient to produce a substantially uniform film thickness of the photoresist composition across the surface, wherein the solvent mixture comprises from about 50 to about 80 parts by weight, based on the weight of the solvent mixture, of at least one di(C1-C3)alkyl carbonate and from about 20 to about 50 parts by weight, based on the weight of the solvent mixture, of cyclopentanone.

Abstract: The invention is related to compounds according to the formula (I) and salts thereof, or mixtures of such compounds or of their salts, wherein the substituents have the meanings as defined in claim 1; these compounds are useful as fiber-reactive dyestuffs in dyeing and printing hydroxy-group-containing and nitrogen-containing organic substrates.

Abstract: New dioxazine compounds and mixtures thereof containing sulphonic acid groups according to formula (I) in which the substituents have the meanings given in claim 1, processes for their production and the use of such compounds for dyeing or printing organic substrates or as a component of printing inks.

Abstract: A photosensitive positive working composition suitable for use as a photoresist, which comprises an admixture of at least one film forming resin; at least one photosensitizer; and a photoresist solvent mixture containing more than 50 weight percent of an alkylene glycol alkyl ether and less than 50 weight percent of either an alkyl alkoxy propionate or an alkyl amyl ketone, and a process for producing such a photoresist composition.

Abstract: Claimed are novel azo dyes of the formula (I) where the substituents are each as defined in the claims, their preparation, their use as dyes and as an ingredient of an ink-jet printing ink and also substrates dyed with such compounds.

Abstract: A method of coupling a diazonium salt with an organic polymer comprising, on order, the steps of: providing a polymer in one liquid phase; providing an diazonium salt in a separate liquid phase; contacting the separate phases, and thereby reacting the polymer and the diazonium salt.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with compounds according to the formula (I) and salts thereof, or a mixture of such compounds or salts. These compounds are useful as fiber-reactive dyestuffs in dyeing and printing hydroxy-group-containing and nitrogen-containing organic substrates.

Abstract: A water insoluble, aqueous alkali soluble novolak resin, process for producing such a novolak resin, a photoresist containing such a novolak resin, and a method for producing a semiconductor device, wherein the resin is isolated by sub surface forced steam distillation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a film forming, fractionated novolak resin, by:a) condensing formaldehyde with one or more phenolic compounds, and thereby producing a novolak resin;b) adding a photoresist solvent, and optionally a water-soluble organic polar solvent;c) feeding the mixture into a liquid/liquid centrifuge and feeding a C.sub.5 -C.sub.8 alkane, water or aromatic hydrocarbon solvent into the liquid/liquid centrifuge at a ratio of optional water-soluble organic polar solvent and photoresist solvent to C.sub.5 -C.sub.8 alkane, water or aromatic solvent, of from 5:1 to 0.5:1;d) rotating the liquid/liquid centrifuge containing the mixture at a speed of at least 500 rpm and thereby separating the mixture into two phases, collecting the two phases;e) optionally separating the lighter phase (L) into two second phases;f) removing residual C.sub.5 -C.sub.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an antireflective coating composition comprising an admixture of:a) a polymer defined by the following structure: ##STR1## where, R.sub.1 & R.sub.2 are independently hydrogen, or C.sub.1 to C.sub.5 alkylR.sub.3 is a methyl, ethyl, propyl or butyl groupR.sub.4 -R.sub.7 are independently hydrogen, or C.sub.1 to C.sub.5 alkyln=10 to 50,000(b) a fluorine-containing, sparingly water-soluble (0.1%-10% by weight in water) organic C.sub.3 -C.sub.13 aliphatic carboxylic acid;(c) a non-metallic hydroxide; and(d) a solvent.The invention also relates to a method for producing such an antireflective coating composition and to a method for producing a microelectronic device using such an antireflective coating composition in conjunction with a photoresist composition.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a film forming, fractionated novolak resin having consistent molecular weight and superior performance in photoresist composition, by isolating such novolak resin fractions without high temperature distillation. A method is also provided for producing photoresist composition from such a fractionated novolak resin and for producing semiconductor devices using such a photoresist composition.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a water insoluble, aqueous alkali soluble novolak resins having consistent molecular weight and superior performance in photoresist composition, by isolating such novolak resin without high temperature distillation. A method is also provided for producing photoresist composition from such a novolak resin and for producing semiconductor devices using such a photoresist composition.

Abstract: A process for producing a naphthoquinone diazide ester of a phenolic compound that is useful in a photoresist composition, which process comprises providing a naphthoquinone diazide ester solution in an organic polar solvent; adding the resulting naphthoquinone diazide ester solution to a precipitation bath that is maintained at a temperature of from about 0.degree. C. to about -30.degree. C.; and filtering the resulting naphthoquinone diazide ester.