Abstract: The present invention relates to a photoresist composition sensitive to radiation in the deep ultraviolet, particularly a positive working photoresist sensitive in the range of 100-200 nanometers(nm). The photoresist composition comprises a) a polymer that is insoluble in an aqueous alkaline solution and comprises at least one acid labile group, and furthermore where the polymer is essentially non-phenolic, b) a compound capable of producing an acid upon radiation, and c) an additive that reduces the effect of electrons and ions on the photoresist image.

Abstract: A radiation sensitive resin composition containing an alkali-soluble resin, for example a novolak-quinonediazide positive-working radiation sensitive resin composition and a chemically amplified negative-working resin composition, wherein the alkali-soluble resin contains at least an alkali-soluble resin obtained by polycondensation of a compound represented by the following general formula (I) and a phenol if necessary, with an aldehyde. wherein R represents a hydroxyl group or an alkyl group with 1 to 4 carbon atoms, n is 0 or an integer of 1 to 3 and, when n is 2 or 3, each R group may be the same or different.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel polymer comprising at least one unit derived from an ethylenically unsaturated compound containing at least one cyano functionality and at least one nonaromatic cyclic unit. The novel polymer is particularly useful when used in a photoresist composition sensitive in the deep ultraviolet region.

Abstract: (Co)poly-&agr;-hydroxyacrylic-acid-based polymers (P), optionally in lactonized form or in salt form, optionally as Mg-complexes, and which are characterized by a content in carbohydrate units and 2-hydroxy-2-carboxyethylene-1,2 monomer units, are suitable as biologically degradable, alkali-resistant stabilizers for peroxide bleaching agents.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cleaner for lithography which is excellent in the ability to dissolve a resist and highly safe to the human body and which can be used usefully to clean a coater such as in a coater cup, to remove an unnecessary resist from a substrate when or after coating of a resist, to remove the resist from the substrate after the object using the resist was achieved, and to clean and rinse the substrate after removal of the resist. The cleaner for lithography comprises a homogeneous solution of at least one organic solvent selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol alkyl ether, propylene glycol alkyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol alkyl ether, ethylene glycol alkyl ether acetate, acetic acid alkyl ester, propionic acid alkyl ester, alkoxypropionic acid alkyl ester, lactic acid alkyl ester, aliphatic ketone, and alkoxybutanol and at least one selected from alcohols having alkyl group with 1 to 4 carbon atoms.

Abstract: A method of forming a pattern in which production of reaction products in the interface between an organic anti-reflective coating and a radiation sensitive material coating is suppressed, the number of residues of an etchable layer formed after etching is decreased, and which provides a etched pattern having high resolution and good dimensional accuracy. According to the method, an etchable layer (11) composed of polysilicon coating an organic anti-reflective coating (12), and a radiation sensitive material coating (13) composed of a chemically amplified resist material containing as acid generators both (a) onium salt compound and (b) at least one of a sulfone compound and a sulfonate compound are formed on a semiconductor substrate (10), the radiation sensitive material coating (13) is imagewise exposed through the mask (14) and developed to form a patterned radiation sensitive material coating (13b).

Abstract: A method of forming a minute resist pattern wherein a positive-working photoresist composition containing 3 to 15 parts by weight of a quinone diazide group-containing photosensitizer relative to 100 parts by weight of alkali-soluble novolak resin is developed by an aqueous organic or inorganic alkali solution having a lower alkali concentration than that of the conventional one as the developer. The preferable example of the organic alkali materials in the developer is quaternary ammonium hydroxide, and the preferable example of the inorganic alkali materials in the developer is alkali metal hydroxide. The concentrations of the quaternary ammonium hydroxide and the alkali metal hydroxide in the developing solution are 2.2% by weight or less and 0.4% by weight or less respectively. Using such developing solution, high sensitivity, a high film retention rate, high resolution, low process dependency of dimension accuracy, and a formation of excellent pattern profile can be achieved.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel polymer comprising at least one unit derived from an ethylenically unsaturated compound containing at least one cyano functionality and at least one nonaromatic cyclic unit. The novel polymer is particularly useful when used in a photoresist composition sensitive in the deep ultraviolet region.

Abstract: A chemically amplified resist composition is disclosed which shows a high sensitivity, high resolution, excellent processing adaptability and excellent processing stability, which can form good pattern profile and which is suited as a finely processable material for use in manufacturing integrated circuit elements or the like. The chemically amplified resist composition comprises at least (a) an organic material containing a substituent or substituents capable of being released in the presence of an acid and (b) compounds capable of generating an acid upon exposure to radiation (acid-generators), composed of at least one onium salt and at least one of sulfone compounds and sulfonate compounds. This chemically amplified resist composition preferably further contains a basic compound.

Abstract: In a process for manufacturing integrated circuit elements or the like by photolithography, a method for reducing detrimental influence on resist shape due to properties of a substrate or acidity of substrate surface in case where a chemically amplified resist or the like is used as a photoresist, and a substrate-treating agent composition to be used for this method are described. The substrate-treating agent composition comprises a solution containing a salt between at least one basic compound selected from among primary, secondary and tertiary amines and nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds and an organic acid such as a sulfonic acid or a carboxylic acid. This composition is coated on a substrate surface having thereon a bottom anti-reflective coating such as SiON layer, baked and, if necessary washed, then a chemically amplified resist is coated on the thus-treated substrate, exposed and developed to form a resist pattern on the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a chemically amplified system, which is, sensitive to wavelengths between 300 nm and 100 nm, and comprises a) a polymer that is insoluble an aqueous alkaline solution and comprises at least one acid labile group, b) a compound capable of producing an acid upon radiation. The present invention comprises a polymer that is made from a alicyclic hydrocarbon olefin, an acrylate with a pendant cyclic moeity, and a cyclic anhydride. The present invention also relates to a process for imaging such a photoresist.

Abstract: The positive-working radiation sensitive resin composition which has high sensitivity, high resolution and no residues in development and ability to form a pattern having a good profile. The positive-working radiation sensitive resin composition contains a mixed radiation sensitive novolak resin comprising the mixture of 1,2-naphthoquinonediazide-4-sulfonic acid ester of an alkali soluble novolak resin and 1,2-naphthoquinonediazide-5-sulfonic acid ester of an alkali soluble novolak resin, wherein the ratio by weight of the 1,2-naphthoquinonediazide-4-sulfonyl group and 1,2-naphthoquinonediazide-5-sulfonyl group ranges from 5:95 to 20:80.

Abstract: A good heat-resistant radiation-sensitive resin composition containing an alkali-soluble resin obtained by condensation, with phenols as necessary, of methylolated bisphenols represented by following general formula, a cross-linking agent and a photosensitizer. wherein R1 to R4 each represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or —CH2OH, whereupon at least one of R1 to R4 represents —CH2OH, and R5 and R6 each represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of microelectronics, such as integrated circuits, and more particularly to compositions and methods of removing photoresists or other organic materials from the surfaces of substrates used in the fabrication of integrated circuits. In particular the present invention relates to amine-free stripping compositions comprising solvent and surfactant that can effectively remove organic materials without corroding the underlying substrate, and the invention also relates to methods for removing these organic materials with the novel stripping composition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel photoresist composition sensitive in the deep ultraviolet region, where the photoresist performance is not adversely impacted by basic contaminants in the processing environment of the photoresist. The novel photoresist comprises a polymer, a photoactive compound, a basic compound that is a sulfonium or iodonium compound that is essentially nonabsorbing at the exposure wavelength of the photoresist, and a solvent composition. The invention further relates to a process for imaging such a photoresist in the deep ultraviolet region.

Abstract: A radiation sensitive resin composition containing an alkali-soluble resin, for example a novolak-quinonediazide positive-working radiation sensitive resin composition and a chemically amplified negative-working resin composition, wherein the alkali-soluble resin contains at least an alkali-soluble resin obtained by polycondensation of a compound represented by the following general formula (I) and a phenol if necessary, with an aldehyde. wherein R represents a hydroxyl group or an alkyl group with 1 to 4 carbon atoms, n is 0 or an integer of 1 to 3 and, when n is 2 or 3, each R group may be the same or different.

Abstract: The anti-reflective coating composition comprising at least perfluoroalkylsulfonic acid (A) represented by the general formula: CnF2n+1SO3H (n is an integer of 4 to 8), organic amine (B), water-soluble polymer (C), perfluoroalkyl sulfonamide (D) represented by the general formula: CnF2n+1SO2NH2 (n is an integer of 1 to 8) and water (E) and having a pH value of 1.3 to 3.3 is applied onto a photoresist film formed on a substrate, thus forming an anti-reflective coating. The photoresist and anti-reflective coating are then exposed to light and developed to give a resist pattern. The coating composition can form a uniform anti-reflective coating free of standing wave, multiple reflection, T-top and PED (Post Exposure Delay) in a small amount of drip onto any types of resists regardless of the surface shape of a substrate.

Abstract: As a bottom anti-reflective coating material for use in photolithography, polymer dyes represented by following general formula are used. The polymer dyes are able to form a bottom anti-reflective coating having good film formation properties, good absorption properties at exposure wavelength, good step coverage, non-intermixing with photoresist and high etch rate. wherein R represents H or a substituted or non-substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, or aryl group, R1 represents a substituted or non-substituted alkyl or aryl, or a —COOR3 group in which R3 represents an alkyl group, R2 represents a substituted or non-substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, or aryl group, D is an organic chromophore which absorbs at the exposure wavelength (150-450 nm) and represents a substituted or non-substituted aryl, condensed aryl, or heteroaryl group, m and o are any integer above zero, and n, p and q are any integer including zero.

Abstract: The invention consists of a light absorbing top antireflective layer that reduces the swing curve amplitude for photoresist materials used in the semiconductor industry. The coating may be water based but is not necessarily so. The advantage of a water-based coating is its ease of use, since it can be applied without intermixing to the softbaked photoresist, and is removed in the development step, so that process complexity is only minimally increased. One problem that has been associated with the existing non-absorbing antireflective coatings is that the optimum swing curve reduction is only achieved at a very low refractive index. The advantages of a dyed coating are a) that the refractive index of the top coat can additionally be lowered by making use of anomalous dispersion effects if the dye is chosen judiciously, and b) that it is possible to achieve the optimum swing curve reduction at a higher refractive index of the top coat.

Abstract: A high-performance anti-reflective coating which highly absorbs a given light, e.g., deep ultraviolet rays, tenaciously adheres to substrates upon coating formation, is satisfactory in covering, and eliminates the influence of standing waves in the production of integrated circuits; novel light-absorbing polymers for forming the anti-reflective coating; and a process for producing the polymers. One of the polymers is produced by esterifying a copolymer comprising carboxylic anhydride groups and/or dicarboxylic acid groups such as maleic acid as basic recurring units with a hydroxylated aromatic chromophore. The unreacted carboxylic acid groups or acid anhydride groups remaining in the esterified light-absorbing polymer may be amidated and/or imidized with an aminated aromatic compound.