Abstract: A heat-sensitive lithographic printing plate precursor is disclosed, comprising a metal substrate having thereon 1) an ink-receptive layer, 2) a water-receptive layer comprising a colloidal particulate oxide or hydroxide of at least one element selected from the group consisting of beryllium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, titanium, boron, germanium, tin, zirconium, iron, vanadium, antimony and transition metals, or additionally 3) a water-soluble overcoat layer, at least one layer of the ink-receptive layer, the water-receptive layer and the overcoat layer containing a compound capable of converting light into heat and the ink-receptive layer containing an epoxy resin having a softening point of 120° C. or more.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention there is provided an imaging element for lithographic offset printing. The imaging element comprises hydrophobic polymer particles in an aqueous medium, a substance for converting light into heat and an inorganic salt. The imaging element may be used for printing long run lengths on lower quality paper and in the presence of set-off powder. The imaging element may be imaged and developed on-press and may be sprayed onto a hydrophilic surface to create a printing surface that may be processed wholly on-press. The hydrophilic surface may be a printing plate substrate or the printing cylinder of a printing press or a seamless sleeve around the printing cylinder of a printing press. This cylinder may be conventional or seamless.

Abstract: The invention is to enable easy formation of a fine electroconductive film pattern with a composition utilizing aqueous solvent of easy handling and little environmental burden. An electroconductive film forming composition composed of a water-soluble photosensitive resinous component, a water-soluble organometallic compound component capable of forming an electroconductive film by baking, and an aqueous solvent component is coated on a substrate and, after exposure based on the necessary pattern of the electroconductive film and development, is baked to form the required electroconductive film.

Abstract: Polymers comprising recurring units of fluorinated maleic anhydride and/or fluorinated maleimide are novel. Using the polymers, resist compositions featuring low absorption of F2 excimer laser light are obtained.

Abstract: A photopolymerizable composition for the preparation of flexographic printing forms for corrugated board direct printing comprising a radial (polystyrene-polybutadiene)nX block copolymer, with X=Sn or Si and n=2 or 4, with an average molecular weight (Mw) of 80,000-300,000, a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) of 1.00-1.40, a content of di- block copolymers of less than 15% by weight, which is extended with up to 50% by weight of a paraffinic oil.

Abstract: A micro-lithographic apparatus and method for selectively exposing/masking resist material on a non-planer workpiece or filamentary substrate includes a hollow, energy transparent tubular member with a hollow for containing the workpiece. The tubular member is selectively coated with a layer of energy-opaque material to form the desired pattern. The transparent tube and opaque coating selectively expose/mask the resist material on the workpiece. Alternatively, the apparatus and method include an energy opaque tubular member with apertures formed through the walls of the tubular member. The apertures form the desired pattern. The opaque tube with apertures selectively exposes/masks the resist material. The apparatus and method may also include an energy source and a rotating device for rotating the tubular member, with the workpiece disposed therein, to the energy source or rotating energy source around tubular member or have energy source surround tubular member.

Abstract: A positive photoresist composition comprising a photo-acid gererator and a specific resin. The resin contains repeating units each having a group represented by formula (I): —SO2—O—R wherein R represents an optionally substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, or alkenyl group and comes to have an increased rate of dissolution in an alkaline developing solution by the action of an acid, or contains alkali-soluble groups protected by partial structures containing an alicyclic hydrocarbon and represented by at least one of formulae (pI) to (pVI) defined in the specification and which decomposes by the action of an acid to have enhanced solubility in an alkali. The latter is used in combination with a compound which decomposes by the action of an acid to generate a sulfonic acid.

Abstract: A positive image-forming material for use with infrared laser is provided. The material includes a substrate, a layer (A) containing not less than 50% by weight of a copolymer which contains, as a copolymerization component, not less than 10% by mol of at least one of the following monomers (a-1) to (a-3), wherein (a-1) is a monomer having in the molecule a sulfonamide group wherein at least one hydrogen atom is linked to a nitrogen atom, (a-2) is a monomer having in the molecule an active imino group represented by the following general formula (I): and (a-3) is a monomer selected from acrylamide, methacrylamide, acrylate, methacrylate and hydroxystyrene, which respectively have a phenolic hydroxyl group; and a layer (B) containing not less than 50% by weight of an aqueous alkali solution-soluble resin having a phenolic hydroxyl group. The layer (A) and the layer (B) contain a compound which generates heat upon absorbing light.

Abstract: A method of forming an integrated circuit using an amorphous carbon film. The amorphous carbon film is formed by thermally decomposing a gas mixture comprising a hydrocarbon compound and an inert gas. The amorphous carbon film is compatible with integrated circuit fabrication processes. In one integrated circuit fabrication process, the amorphous carbon film is used as a hardmask. In another integrated circuit fabrication process, the amorphous carbon film is an anti-reflective coating (ARC) for deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography. In yet another integrated circuit fabrication process, a multi-layer amorphous carbon anti-reflective coating is used for DUV lithography.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device; which comprises the steps of forming a film of a hard mask material, on a pattern-forming film which is to be used to form a prescribed pattern, and then forming a photoresist film over said film of the hard mask material; carrying out a first exposure using a first mask with a phase shifter and subsequently making a development; etching said film of the hard mask material using the formed resist pattern as a mask; forming a photoresist film so as to cover the formed hard mask pattern; carrying out a second exposure using a second mask with a pattern which enables a portion of the photoresist covering only a required part of said hard mask pattern to remain after the exposure and the development, and subsequently making a development; removing, by means of etching, an unrequited part of the hard mask which is not covered with any portion of said photoresist; and etching said pattern-forming film using the remaining hard mask pa

Abstract: An imaging member, such as a negative-working printing plate or on-press cylinder, has an imaging layer comprised of a thermally sensitive compound and a photothermal conversion material. The thermally sensitive compound comprises a heat-activatable aromatic cyclic sulfonium zwitterion group represented by the following Structure I: wherein Ar is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group, X and Y are independently substituted or unsubstituted methylene groups, and n is 1 or 2. The thermally sensitive compound can be a polymer or a small molecule compound. In the imaging member, the thermally sensitive compound reacts to provide increased hydrophobicity in areas exposed to energy that provides or generates heat. The imaging layer is considered “switchable” and can be used to provide a lithographic printing image without traditional alkaline wet processing.

Abstract: A method of forming a pattern which comprises the steps of, forming a matrix pattern on a work film, filling an opened space in the matrix pattern with a mask material layer containing at least one kind of a network carbon polymer having a repeating unit represented by the following general formulas (CP1) to (CP4) on the work film, forming a mask material pattern by removing the matrix pattern, and forming a work film pattern by transferring the mask material pattern to the work film: wherein R is halogen atom, hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group, A is a polyvalent organic group, and m, n and k denote respectively a positive integer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an element having a multiple-level step-like shape through plural lithographic processes, or a mold for production of such an element is disclosed, wherein a position of at least one step of the step-like shape is determined by an end of at least a portion of a pattern of a first mask to be formed through a first lithographic process of the plural lithographic processes.

Abstract: The present invention provides photoresist polymers, processes for producing the same, photoresist compositions comprising such polymers, and processes for producing a photoresist pattern using such photoresist compositions. In particular, photoresist polymers of the present invention comprise a moiety of the Formula: where R1, R2, R3 and R4 are those defined herein. Photoresist polymers of the present invention have a relatively high etching resistance, and therefore are useful in thin resist processes and bilayer photoresist processes. Moreover, photoresist polymers of the present invention have a high contrast ratio between the exposed region and the non-exposed region.

Abstract: There are disclosed a light-sensitive composition which comprises (A) a polymer having a phenyl group substituted by a vinyl group at a side chain, (B) a photopolymerization initiator and (C) a sensitizer which sensitizes the photo-polymerization initiator, or a light-sensitive composition which comprises (A′) a polymer, the above-mentioned (B) and (C), and (D) a monomer having at least two phenyl groups each of which is substituted by a vinyl group in the molecule of the monomer; and a method of forming a relief image which comprises coating the light-sensitive composition as mentioned above on a support, exposing the composition by exposure or scanning exposure and developing the same to form a relief image on the support.

Abstract: This invention discloses compositions that can be polymerized/crosslinked imagewise upon exposure to ionization radiation such as x-ray, electron beam, ion beam, and gamma-ray. This invention also discloses methods of use for these compositions for microfabrication of ceramics, for stereolithography, and for x-ray, e-beam, and ion-beam lithography which can be used for photoresists.

Abstract: A blind via structure, and associated laser ablation methods of formation, that includes a blind via within a photoimageable dielectric (PID) layer on a substrate, such that the sidewall of the blind via makes an obtuse angle with the blind end of the blind via. The obtuse-angled sidewall may be formed by executing two processes in sequence. In the first process, photoimaging of the PID layer, with selective exposure to ultraviolet light, results in one or more blind vias having acute-angled sidewalls. The photoimaging cross links the PID material that had been selectively exposed to ultraviolet light such that a subsequent developing step removes PID material not cross linked, or weakly cross linked, to simultaneously form multiple blind vias having different sized openings. In the second process, laser ablation is selectively employed to remove the acute-angled sidewalls from particular blind vias in a way that forms replacement obtuse-angled sidewalls in the laser-ablated blind vias.

Abstract: A polymer comprising units of formulas (1) and (2) and having a Mw of 1,000-500,000 is provided. R1 is H, CH3 or CH2CO2R3, R2 is H, CH3 or CO2R3, R3 is alkyl, R4 is halogen or acyloxy, alkoxycarbonyloxy or alkylsulfonyloxy group which may be substituted with halogen, R5 is H or alkyl, R6 is an acid labile group, Z is a single bond or a divalent hydrocarbon group, k is 0 or 1, and W is —O— or —(NR)— wherein R is H or alkyl. A resist composition comprising the polymer as a base resin is sensitive to high-energy radiation, has excellent sensitivity, resolution, and etching resistance, and lends itself to micropatterning with electron beams or deep-UV rays.

Abstract: A polymer comprising recurring units of formula (1) and having a Mw of 1,000-500,000 is provided. R1 is H, methyl or CH2CO2R3, R2 is H, methyl or CO2R3, R3 is alkyl, R4 is H, alkyl, alkoxyalkyl or acyl, R5 and R15 are acid labile groups, and at least one of R6 to R9 is a carboxyl or hydroxyl-containing monovalent hydrocarbon group, and the reminders are H or alkyl, at least one of R10 to R13 is a monovalent hydrocarbon group containing a —CO2— partial structure, and the reminders are H or alkyl, R14 is a polycyclic hydrocarbon group or polycyclic hydrocarbon-containing alkyl group, Z is a trivalent hydrocarbon group, k=0 or 1, x is>0, a, b, c and d are≧0, satisfying x+a+b+c+d=1. A resist composition comprising the polymer has significantly improved sensitivity, resolution and etching resistance and is very useful in microfabrication.

Abstract: A method of imaging acids in chemically amplified photoresists involves exposing to radiation a chemically amplified photoresist comprising a pH-dependent fluorophore. Upon exposure to radiation, such as deep-UV radiation, the chemically amplified photoresist produces an acid, which is then visualized by the fluorescence of the pH-dependent fluorophore. An image is generated from the fluorescence of the pH-dependent fluorophore, thus providing a map of the location of the acid in the photoresist. The images are able to be visualized prior to a post-exposure bake of the resist composition. Chemically amplified photoresists comprising pH-dependent fluorophores are useful in the practice of the present invention. The method finds particular use in examining the efficiency of photoacid generators in chemically amplified photoresists, in that it allows the practitioner the ability to directly determine the amount of acid generated within the photoresist.