Abstract: Disclosed are methods of repairing metal seed layers prior to subsequent metallization. Such repair methods provide metal seed layers disposed on a substrate that are substantially free of metal oxide and substantially free of discontinuities.

Abstract: Disclosed are compositions useful for the pretreatment of polymeric material to be removed from substrates, such as electronic devices. The compositions of the present invention are particularly suitable for pretreating polymer residues from plasma etch processes. Also disclosed are methods of removing such pretreated polymeric material.

Abstract: Methods are provided to prepare photoresists without isolation of various components, i.e. in a "one-pot" procedure. Preferred one-pot preparation methods of the invention include preparing a photoresist resin binder in a selected photoresist solvent and, without isolation of the resin binder from the solvent, adding a photoactive component and any other desired photoresist materials to the resin binder in solution to thereby provide a liquid photoresist composition in the solvent in which the resin binder was prepared. The invention also provides novel methods for synthesizing resist resin binders, particularly phenolic polymers that contain phenolic OH groups covalently bonded to another moiety such as acid labile groups or inert blocking groups.