Abstract: A method for forming a dampening-waterless lithographic plate comprising an irradiation step of irradiating a dampening-waterless lithographic blank plate imagewise with a laser beam, the blank plate comprising a support, a photothermal conversion layer provided on the support for converting laser beam energy to heat, and an ink-repellent layer provided on the photothermal conversion layer a first rubbing step of rubbing the surface of the ink-repellent layer without use of a liquid so as to remove at least a portion of the ink-repellent layer in areas irradiated with a laser beam and a second rubbing step of rubbing the surface of the partially removed ink-repellent layer through use of a liquid.

Abstract: A photolithographic process includes providing a layer of photoresistive material on a target substrate. Radiation is transmitted to the photoresistive material through a layer of absorbing material that absorbs the radiation with a transmittance proportional to the thickness of the absorbing material. A surface relief structure is formed in the absorbing material, so that the photoresistive material is only partially exposed in a pattern corresponding to the surface relief structure. Thus, when the photoresistive material is developed, it has a surface relief structure corresponding to the surface relief structure in the absorbing material. Etching the developed photoresistive material and target substrate then forms a surface relief structure in the target substrate that corresponds to the surface relief structure in the developed photoresistive material.

Abstract: A direct-to-press imaging method comprises: (a) applying an imageable coating to a printing cylinder, wherein the imageable coating comprises a composition such as a thermally switchable polymer which changes affinity for a printing fluid upon exposure to imaging radiation such as infrared radiation delivered imagewise via a laser, and the imageable coating is substantially insoluble in the printing fluid; (b) imagewise exposing the imageable coating to actinic radiation to obtain an imaged coating; (c) printing a plurality of copies of an image from the imaged coating; and (d) reapplying the imageable coating as desired by repeating steps (a) through (c) at least once without substantially removing the prior imaged coating before reapplying the imageable coating.

Abstract: A bottom antireflective coating layer is made from the compositions of organic photosensitive materials that contain isoflavone chromophore by photolithography utilizing a deep ultraviolet light source for producing a submicro-level, large-scale integrated chip. A copolymer containing an isoflavone chromophore is used as a bottom antireflective coating layer for fabricating a 64-megabit or gigabit DRAM. The antireflective coating layer enables not only the suppression of reflections of light that occur under the substrate layer but also the removal of standing waves. Consequently, a high-resolution sub-micron of a 100˜200 nm integrated circuit is able to be stably formed. Therefore, it is possible to increase the production of semiconductors.

Abstract: An improved method of and apparatus that is continuously automatically operative in an in-line system is described for applying under vacuum, heat and mechanical pressure a dry film photoresist-forming layer to printed circuit boards (200) that already have been prelaminated by the loose application thereto of the dry film resist as discrete cut sheets within the confines of the surface of the boards whereby a laminate without entrapped air bubbles and closely conforming to the raised circuit traces and irregular surface contours of the printed circuit board is obtained. Featured is a conveyorized vacuum applicator (12) comprising two independent vacuum lamination chambers (18,20) in end-to-end relation. The first vacuum chamber operates at ambient temperature to draw off all of the air entrapped between the dry film resist and the surface of the printed circuit board at conditions that do not result in premature tacking of the dry film to the surface of the board.

Abstract: The present invention relates to norbornene monomers with a novel functional group containing an organometal as shown in the following Formula (I) or (II), a photoresist containing its polymers, manufacturing method thereof, and a method of forming photoresist patterns. Unlike existing polymers for photoresist matrix, polymers made by norbornene monomers described in the present invention is a chemical amplification type induced by photosensitive acids and can result in difference in silicon content between the exposed area and unexposed area due to dissociation of side chain containing silicon. The difference in the silicon content results in different etch rate with respect to oxygen plasma which makes dry developing possible.

Abstract: A positive resist composition comprising (A) a compound generating a specific sulfonimide compound by irradiation with an actinic ray or a radiation and (B) a resin having a group, which is decomposed by the action of an acid to increase the solubility of the composition in an alkali developer. The resist composition has an improved resolving power and an improved process allowance such as exposure margin and the depth of focus in a lithographic technique using a light source of short wavelengths capable of super fine working and a positive chemically amplified resist.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a photo acid generator which has high transparency to exposure light and also has excellent heat stability in a photoresist composition for lithography using far ultraviolet light, especially light of ArF excimer laser. The photo acid generator contains a sulfonium salt compound represented by the following general formula (1): wherein R1 represents an alkylene group, or an alkylene group having an oxo group, R2 represents a straight-chain, branched-chain, monocyclic, polycyclic or bridged cyclic alkyl group having an oxo group, or a straight-chain, branched-chain, monocyclic, polycyclic or bridged cyclic alkyl group, provided that either of R1 and R2 has an oxo group, and Y− represents a counter ion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a high sensitivity chemically amplified positive-working resist composition which eliminates edge roughness on pattern and provides an excellent resist pattern profile. A novel positive-working resist composition is provided comprising (A) a resin containing an alkali-soluble group protected by at least one of moieties containing alicyclic hydrocarbon represented by general formulae (pI) to (pVI) and having a monomer component content of 5% or less of the total pattern area as determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), which increases in its solution velocity with respect to an alkaline developer by the action of an acid and (B) a compound which is capable of generating an acid by irradiation with an active ray or radiation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photosensitive composition for an infrared laser used for direct plate making, which has high sensitivity and good developing latitude and storage stability, and provides a planographic printing plate in which this composition is used. The positive-type photosensitive composition of the present invention has (a) a macromolecular compound having alkali-soluble groups and (b) a compound that has a phthalocyanine skeleton and has in its molecule at least one group which can form a bond by interaction with an alkali-soluble group in the macromolecular compound (a).

Abstract: A compound of Formula 10, an organic anti-reflective polymer having the structure of Formula 1 synthesized from the compound of Formula 1 and a preparation method thereof. An anti-reflective coating composition including the above organic anti-reflective polymer, as well as a preparation method of an anti-reflective coating. The anti-reflective coating comprising the disclosed polymer eliminates standing waves caused by the optical properties of lower layers on the wafer and by the changes in the thickness of the photoresist, prevents back reflection and also solves the problem of CD alteration cause by the diffracted and reflected light from such lower layers. Such advantages enable the formation of stable ultrafine patterns suitable for 64M, 256M, 1G, 4G, and 16G DRAM semiconductor devices and an increase of the production yields.

Abstract: An organic anti-reflective polymer having the following Formula 1, its preparation method, an anti-reflective coating composition comprising the said organic anti-reflective polymer and a preparation method of an anti-reflective coating made therefrom. The anti-reflective coating comprising the disclosed polymer eliminates standing waves caused by the optical properties of lower layers on the wafer and by the thickness changes of the photoresist, prevents back reflection and CD alteration caused by the diffracted and reflected light from such lower layers. Such advantages enable the formation of stable ultrafine patterns suitable for 64M, 256M, 1G, 4G, and 16G DRAM semiconductor devices and improve the production yields. Further, it is also possible to control the k value and the increased hydrophobicity facilitates EBR (Edge Bead Removal).

Abstract: Disclosed are spirocyclic olefin ploymers, methods of preparing spirocyclic olefin polymers, photoresist compositions including spirocyclic olefin resin binders and methods of forming relief images using such photoresist compositions.

Abstract: The photosensitive polymer includes a first monomer which is norbornene ester having C1 to C12 aliphatic alcohol as a substituent, and a second monomer which is maleic anhydride. A chemically amplified photoresist composition, containing the photosensitive polymer, has an improved etching resistance and adhesion to underlying layer materials, and exhibits wettability to developing solutions.

Abstract: Provided is a heat-sensitive lithographic printing plate comprising a support having thereon an undercoat layer and a heat-sensitive layer in this order, with at least one of the undercoat layer and the heat-sensitive layer comprising polymer hollow microspheres having voids on the inside, or a heat-sensitive lithographic printing plate comprising a support having thereon a heat-sensitive layer, with the heat-sensitive layer comprising polymer hollow microspheres having voids on the inside.

Abstract: Provided is a planographic printing plate precursor having the advantages of good developability in printers, high sensitivity and a long press life. On a support having a hydrophilic surface with hydrophilic graft polymer chains existing therein, formed is a thermosensitive layer containing a polymer having, in the molecule, a functional group capable of interacting with the hydrophilic graft polymer and a functional group that undergoes hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity conversion through exposure to heat, acid or radiation to fabricate the planographic printing plate precursor.

Abstract: Photoresists and associated processes for microlithography in the extreme, far, and near UV are disclosed. The photoresists in some embodiments comprise (a) a fluorine-containing copolymer comprising a repeat unit derived from at least one ethylenically unsaturated compound characterized in that at least one ethylenically unsaturated compound is polycyclic and at least one ethylenically unsaturated compound contains at least one fluorine atom covalently attached to an ethylenically unsaturated carbon atom; and (b) at least one photoactive component.

Abstract: The present invention provides photoresist monomers, photoresist polymers derived from the same, processes for producing such photoresist polymers, photoresist compositions comprising such polymers, and processes for producing a photoresist pattern using such photoresist compositions. In particular, photoresist monomers of the present invention comprise a moiety of Formula 4: 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 a thin resist process and a bilayer photoresist process. Moreover, photoresist polymers of the present invention have a high contrast ratio between an exposed region and a non-exposed region.

Abstract: A positive-working photoresist composition comprises (A) a resin comprising the specific repeating structural units which resin increases in its solubility in an alkaline developer when acted upon by an acid, (B′) an onium salt compound which generates an acid when irradiated with active ray or radiation and (C) at least one of fluorine-based and/or silicon-based surface active agent and nonionic surface active agent or a positive-working photoresist composition comprises (A) a resin comprising the specific repeating structural units which resin increases in its solubility in an alkaline developer when acted upon by an acid, (B) a compound which generates an acid when irradiated with active ray or radiation, and (D) a mixed solvent containing at least one propylene glycol monoalkyl ether carboxylate and at least one of solvents selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol monoalkyl ether, alkyl lactate and alkoxyalkyl propionate and solvents selected from the group consisting of &ggr;-butyrola

Abstract: A multiple exposure method using plural masks includes exposing a position where an image of a low-contrast pattern is to be formed on the basis of a mask, of the plural masks, having fine lines extending in different directions, with an image of a pattern of a mask having a phase difference of 180 degrees between adjacent patterns, whereby a contrast of an exposure amount distribution related to the pattern of the low contrast is increased, and making the exposure with the image of the pattern having the phase difference of 180 degrees while registering the boundaries of the pattern with the fine lines of the pattern, extending in different directions, where the fine lines or extensions thereof intersect with each other at a single point. The boundaries having a phase difference of 180 degrees serve to divide a pattern region into zones of an even number regardless of whether the number of the fine lines is even or odd, and the fine lines are reproduced on the basis of the boundaries.