Patents Examined by Nicholas E Brown
  • Patent number: 11703766
    Abstract: A method includes forming a bottom layer over a semiconductor substrate, where the bottom layer includes a polymer bonded to a first cross-linker and a second cross-linker, the first cross-linker being configured to be activated by ultraviolet (UV) radiation and the second cross-linker being configured to be activated by heat at a first temperature. The method then proceeds to exposing the bottom layer to a UV source to activate the first cross-linker, resulting in an exposed bottom layer, where the exposing activates the first cross-linker. The method further includes baking the exposed bottom layer, where the baking activates the second cross-linker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jing Hong Huang, Chien-Wei Wang, Shang-Wern Chang, Ching-Yu Chang
  • Patent number: 11703758
    Abstract: A photosensitive composition for EUV light includes a predetermined resin and a photoacid generator, or includes a predetermined resin having a repeating unit having a photoacid generating group, and satisfies Requirements 1 to 3, Requirement 1: The A value determined by Formula (1) is 0.14 or more, A=([H]×0.04+[C]×1.0+[N]×2.1+[O]×3.6+[F]×5.6+[S]×1.5+[I]×39.5)/([H]×1+[C]×12+[N]×14+[O]×16+[F]×19+[S]×32+[I]×127)??Formula(1) Requirement 2: The concentration of solid contents in the photosensitive composition for EUV light is 5.0% by mass or less, Requirement 3: The content of the photoacid generator is 5% to 50% by mass with respect to the total solid content in the photosensitive composition for EUV light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Michihiro Shirakawa, Hajime Furutani, Hironori Oka
  • Patent number: 11702695
    Abstract: Embodiments provided herewith are directed to self-assembled methods of preparing a patterned surface for sequencing applications including, for example, a patterned flow cell or a patterned surface for digital fluidic devices. The methods utilize photolithography to create a patterned surface with a plurality of microscale or nanoscale contours, separated by hydrophobic interstitial regions, without the need of oxygen plasma treatment during the photolithography process. In addition, the methods avoid the use of any chemical or mechanical polishing steps after the deposition of a gel material to the contours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Illumina, Inc.
    Inventors: Yir-Shyuan Wu, Yan-You Lin, M. Shane Bowen, Cyril Delattre, Fabien Abeille, Tarun Khurana, Arnaud Rival, Poorya Sabounchi, Dajun Yuan, Maria Candelaria Rogert Bacigalupo
  • Patent number: 11692066
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide: a compound containing an imide group which is not only cured under film formation conditions of inert gas as well as air, generates no by-product and has excellent heat resistance and properties of filling and planarizing a pattern formed on a substrate, but can also form an organic underlayer film with favorable adhesion to a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daisuke Kori, Keisuke Niida, Takashi Sawamura, Takeru Watanabe, Seiichiro Tachibana, Tsutomu Ogihara
  • Patent number: 11681218
    Abstract: The present invention can provide a salt capable of producing a resist pattern with satisfactory CD uniformity (CDU), and a resist composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Tatsuro Masuyama, Yuichi Mukai, Koji Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 11681223
    Abstract: A photocurable composition for forming coating film having flattening properties on a substrate, with high fillability into patterns and capability of forming a coating film that is free from thermal shrinkage, which contains at least one compound that contains a photodegradable nitrogen-containing and/or sulfur-containing structure, a hydrocarbon structure, and a solvent. A compound which contains at least one photodegradable structure in one molecule. A compound which contains the photodegradable structures, and the hydrocarbon structure in one molecule, or a combination of compounds which contain the structures in separate molecules. The hydrocarbon structure is a saturated or unsaturated, linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbon group having a carbon atom number of 1 to 40.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: NISSAN CHEMICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hikaru Tokunaga, Takafumi Endo, Keisuke Hashimoto, Rikimaru Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 11680133
    Abstract: A material for forming an organic film contains a polymer having a repeating unit shown by the following general formula (1), and an organic solvent, where AR1 and AR2 each represent a benzene ring or a naphthalene ring which optionally have a substituent; W1 represents a divalent organic group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms and no aromatic ring, and a methylene group constituting the organic group is optionally substituted with an oxygen atom or a carbonyl group; and W2 represents a divalent organic group having 6 to 80 carbon atoms and at least one or more aromatic rings. This invention provides: an organic film material being excellent in film formability and enabling high etching resistance and excellent twisting resistance and filling property; a patterning process using this material; and a polymer suitable for such an organic film material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daisuke Kori, Takayoshi Nakahara, Kenta Ishiwata, Yasuyuki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11667620
    Abstract: The composition contains a compound and a solvent. The compound includes a group represented by formula (1). The compound has a molecular weight of no less than 200 and has a percentage content of carbon atoms of no less than 40% by mass. In the formula (1), R1 and R2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or a monovalent fluorinated hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or R1 and R2 taken together represent a part of an alicyclic structure having 3 to 20 ring atoms constituted together with the carbon atom to which R1 and R2 bond; Ar1 represents a group obtained by removing (n+3) hydrogen atoms from an arene or heteroarene having 6 to 20 ring atoms; and X represents an oxygen atom, —CR3R4—, —CR3R4—O— or —O—CR3R4—.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: JSR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki Nakatsu, Kazunori Takanashi, Kazunori Sakai, Yuushi Matsumura, Hiroki Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 11662663
    Abstract: A composition comprising (A) a polymer comprising recurring units (a1) having a carboxyl group protected with an acid labile group and recurring units (a2) having a cyclic ester, cyclic carbonate or cyclic sulfonate structure, (B) a thermal acid generator, and (C) an organic solvent is suited to form a protective film between a substrate and a resist film. Even when a metal-containing resist film is used, the protective film is effective for preventing the substrate from metal contamination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kobayashi, Kenichi Oikawa, Masayoshi Sagehashi, Teppei Adachi
  • Patent number: 11650499
    Abstract: There is provided a highly sensitive colorant-containing photosensitive resin composition that can form an excellent crack resistant cured product for use in the formation of organic EL element barrier ribs. One embodiment of the photosensitive resin composition for use in organic EL element barrier ribs comprises: (A) a binder resin; (B) a phenolic hydroxyl group-containing compound having a molecular weight of 260 to 5,000 and a phenolic hydroxyl group equivalent of 80 to 155; (C) a radiation sensitive compound; and (D) a colorant selected from the group consisting of black dyes and black pigments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Kentaro Furue, Yoshikazu Arai
  • Patent number: 11605538
    Abstract: A method includes forming protective layer over substrate edge and photoresist over substrate. Protective layer removed and photoresist exposed to radiation. Protective layer made of composition including acid generator and polymer having pendant acid-labile groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: An-Ren Zi, Ching-Yu Chang, Chin-Hsiang Lin
  • Patent number: 11604414
    Abstract: A photosensitive composition for EUV light includes a predetermined resin and a photoacid generator, or includes a predetermined resin having a repeating unit having a photoacid generating group, and satisfies Conditions 1 and 2, Condition 1: The A value determined by Formula (1) is 0.14 or more, A=([H]×0.04+[C]×1.0+[N]×2.1+[O]×3.6+[F]×5.6+[S]×1.5+[I]×39.5)/([H]×1+[C]×12+[N]×14+[O]×16+[F]×19+[S]×32+[I]×127)??Formula (1): Condition 2: The concentration of the solid content in the photosensitive composition for EUV light is 2.5% by mass or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Michihiro Shirakawa, Hajime Furutani, Mitsuhiro Fujita, Tomotaka Tsuchimura, Takashi Kawashima, Michihiro Ogawa, Akihiro Kaneko, Hironori Oka, Yasuharu Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 11603459
    Abstract: A resin composition includes a resin A, a resin C, and a solvent. The resin A includes a sulfonic-acid-group-containing structural unit in an amount exceeding 5 mol % with respect to total structural units included in the resin A. The resin A has a content of a fluorine atom of 30 mass % or less with respect to a total mass of the resin A. The resin C includes a fluorine atom in a larger content per unit mass than the content of a fluorine atom per unit mass in the resin A. A content of the resin A in the resin composition is lower than a content of the resin C in the resin composition in terms of mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: JSR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Sakurai, Sosuke Osawa, Hiromitsu Nakashima
  • Patent number: 11599023
    Abstract: There is provided a highly sensitive colorant-containing photosensitive resin composition for use in the formation of organic EL element barrier ribs. In one embodiment, the photosensitive resin composition for an organic EL element barrier rib comprises: (A) a binder resin; (B) at least one low molecular weight organic compound having a molar volume of 130 cm3/mol or less and being selected from the group consisting of aromatic carboxylic acids and compounds each having a plurality of phenolic hydroxyl groups; (C) a radiation sensitive compound; and (D) a colorant selected from the group consisting of black dyes and black pigments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Kentaro Furue, Yuki Miyaishi
  • Patent number: 11592745
    Abstract: A positive resist composition comprising a base polymer comprising recurring units (a) having the structure of an ammonium salt of a carboxylic acid having an iodized or brominated aromatic ring exhibits a high sensitivity, high resolution, low edge roughness (LER, LWR) and small size variation, and forms a pattern of good profile after exposure and development.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jun Hatakeyama
  • Patent number: 11579526
    Abstract: A chemically-amplified negative resist composition includes: (A) a quencher containing an onium salt shown by the following formula (A-1); (B) a base polymer containing repeating units shown by the following formulae (B1) and (B2); and (C) a photo-acid generator which generates an acid. Thus, the present invention provides: a negative resist composition which can form a favorable profile with high sensitivity and low LWR and CDU in a pattern; and a resist patterning process using the composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryosuke Taniguchi, Satoshi Watanabe, Masaki Ohashi, Naoya Inoue
  • Patent number: 11573491
    Abstract: The present invention provides a negative tone photosensitive composition for EUV light, capable of forming a pattern, in which occurrence of missing defects is suppressed and pattern collapse is suppressed. The present invention also provides a pattern forming method and a method for manufacturing an electronic device. The negative tone photosensitive composition for EUV light of an embodiment of the present invention includes a resin A having a repeating unit having an acid-decomposable group with a polar group being protected with a protective group that is eliminated by the action of an acid, and a photoacid generator, in which a ClogP value of the resin after elimination of the protective group from the resin A is 1.4 or less, a value x calculated by Expression (1) is 1.2 or more, and the value x calculated by Expression (1) and a value y calculated by Expression (2) satisfy a relationship of Expression (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Wataru Nihashi, Michihiro Shirakawa, Michihiro Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11567407
    Abstract: A method of processing a substrate includes: providing structures on a surface of a substrate; depositing a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) over the structures and the substrate, the SAM being reactive to a predetermined wavelength of radiation; determining a first pattern of radiation exposure, the first pattern of radiation exposure having a spatially variable radiation intensity across the surface of the substrate and the structures; exposing the SAM to radiation according to the first pattern of radiation exposure, the SAM being configured to react with the radiation; developing the SAM with a predetermined removal fluid to remove portions of the SAM that are not protected from the predetermined fluid; and depositing a spacer material on the substrate and the structures, the spacer material being deposited at varying thicknesses based on an amount of the SAM remaining on the surface of the substrate and the structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Richard Farrell, Hoyoung Kang, David L. O'Meara
  • Patent number: 11561469
    Abstract: A black positive-type photosensitive resin composition with high sensitivity is provided. The photosensitive resin composition of the invention includes (A) a binder resin, (B) a quinonediazide adduct of a phenol compound having 3 or more phenolic hydroxyl groups (hereunder also referred to as “trivalent or greater phenol compound”, and (C) a black coloring agent, wherein the quinonediazide adduct (B) includes (b1) a quinonediazide adduct wherein one of the hydroxyl groups of the phenolic hydroxyl groups of the trivalent or greater phenol compound is replaced by a structure represented by formula (I) or formula (II), and (b2) a quinonediazide adduct wherein two of the hydroxyl groups of the phenolic hydroxyl groups of the trivalent or greater phenol compound are replaced by structures represented by formula (I) or formula (II), and the total of (b1) and (b2) is at least 60 mol % of the entirety of (B). Ra to Rd and * in the formulas are as defined in the Specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: SHOWA DENKO K.K.
    Inventors: Kentaro Furue, Yuki Miyaishi, Shiyuko Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11550220
    Abstract: A negative tone photoresist and method for developing the negative tone photoresist is disclosed. For example, the negative tone photoresist includes a solvent, a dissolution inhibitor, and a polymer. The polymer includes a hydroxyl group. The polymer may be greater than 40 weight per cent of a total weight of the negative tone photoresist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Li-Po Yang, Wei-Han Lai, Ching-Yu Chang