Abstract: A method of producing a structure containing a phase-separated structure, which includes mixing a block copolymer which includes a hydrophobic polymer block and a hydrophilic polymer block and is incapable of forming a phase-separated structure, with a homopolymer compatible with the hydrophilic polymer block or a homopolymer compatible with the hydrophobic polymer block.

Abstract: An undercoat agent including a block copolymer having a plurality of blocks bonded formed on a substrate. The undercoat agent contains a resin component that includes a structural unit having an aromatic ring and a structural unit having no aromatic ring, and the resin component includes a group which can interact with the substrate and does not include a 3 to 7-membered, ether-containing cyclic group; and a method of forming a pattern of a layer containing a block copolymer. The method includes applying an undercoat agent to a substrate to form a layer containing the undercoat agent; forming a layer containing a block copolymer having multiple blocks bonded on a surface of the layer containing the undercoat agent, followed by a phase separation of the layer containing the block copolymer; and selectively removing a phase containing at least one block of multiple blocks constituting the block copolymer.

Abstract: A method of forming a structure containing a phase-separated structure, the method including applying a block copolymer solution to a substrate to form a layer containing a block copolymer and having a film thickness of less than 100 nm; and phase-separating the layer containing the block copolymer, a solvent of the block copolymer solution comprising a poor solvent exhibiting a poor solubility for a homopolymer A of one of the blocks of the block copolymer.

Abstract: A negative resist composition including a complex represented by the general formula (1); and a polymerization initiator, in which M represents hafnium (Hf) or zirconium (Zr), X represents a ligand comprising a conjugate base of an acid which has an acid dissociation constant (pKa) of 3.8 or less and has a polymerizable group, Y represents a ligand having no polymerizable group, and n represents an integer of 1 to 4.

Abstract: A method of producing a structure containing a phase-separated structure, including applying a neutralization film to a substrate to form a layer of a neutralization film; applying a block copolymer having a plurality of polymers bonded thereto, and a weight average molecular weight of 150,000 or more to the layer of the neutralization film, so as to form a layer containing the block copolymer and having a coating film thickness of 23 nm or less; and phase-separating the layer containing the block copolymer.

Abstract: A method of producing a structure containing a phase-separated structure, which includes mixing a block copolymer which includes a hydrophobic polymer block and a hydrophilic polymer block and is incapable of forming a phase-separated structure, with a homopolymer compatible with the hydrophilic polymer block or a homopolymer compatible with the hydrophobic polymer block.

Abstract: A method of producing a structure containing a phase-separated structure, including a step in which a layer including an Si-containing block copolymer having a plurality of blocks bonded is formed between guide patterns on a substrate; a step in which a solution of a top coat material is applied to the layer and the guide patterns so as to form a top coat film; and a step in which the layer including the Si-containing block copolymer and having the top coat film formed thereon is subjected to annealing treatment so as to conduct a phase separation of the layer; in which a solvent of the solution of the top coat material contains no basic substance.

Abstract: A negative resist composition including a complex represented by the general formula (1); and a polymerization initiator, in which M represents hafnium (Hf) or zirconium (Zr), X represents a ligand comprising a conjugate base of an acid which has an acid dissociation constant (pKa) of 3.8 or less and has a polymerizable group, Y represents a ligand having no polymerizable group, and n represents an integer of 1 to 4.

Abstract: An undercoat agent including a block copolymer having a plurality of blocks bonded formed on a substrate. The undercoat agent contains a resin component that includes a structural unit having an aromatic ring and a structural unit having no aromatic ring, and the resin component includes a group which can interact with the substrate and does not include a 3 to 7-membered, ether-containing cyclic group; and a method of forming a pattern of a layer containing a block copolymer. The method includes applying an undercoat agent to a substrate to form a layer containing the undercoat agent; forming a layer containing a block copolymer having multiple blocks bonded on a surface of the layer containing the undercoat agent, followed by a phase separation of the layer containing the block copolymer; and selectively removing a phase containing at least one block of multiple blocks constituting the block copolymer.

Abstract: A negative resist composition including a complex represented by the general formula (1); and a polymerization initiator. in which M represents hafnium (Hf) or zirconium (Zr), X represents a ligand including a conjugate base of an acid which has an acid dissociation constant (pKa) of 3.8 or less and has a polymerizable group, Y represents a ligand having no polymerizable group, and n represents an integer of 1 to 4.

Abstract: A method of forming a resist pattern including: forming a resist film on a substrate using a resist composition containing a base component (A) which exhibits decreased solubility in an organic solvent by action of an acid; exposing the resist film; and patterning by a negative-tone development using a developing solution containing the organic solvent, wherein the base component (A) contains a resin component (A1) having a structural unit (a0) which generates acid upon exposure and a structural unit (a1) derived from an acrylate ester which may have the hydrogen atom bonded to the carbon atom on the ?-position substituted with a substituent and contains an acid decomposable group which exhibits increased polarity by the action of acid, and the developing solution contains a nitrile solvent.

Abstract: A method of producing a structure containing a phase-separated structure, including forming, on a substrate, a layer containing a block copolymer having a block of a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane structure-containing structural unit; forming a top coat film by applying, to the layer containing the block copolymer, a top coat material which undergoes a change in polarity upon heating, and controls a surface energy of the layer containing the block copolymer; and subjecting the layer containing the block copolymer on which the top coat film is formed to phase separation by thermal annealing.

Abstract: A resist composition including a base component (A) which exhibits changed solubility in a developing solution under action of acid and an acid-generator component (B) which generates acid upon exposure, the base component (A) containing a polymeric compound (A1) having a structural unit (a5) represented by general formula (a5-0) shown below (R1 represents a sulfur atom or an oxygen atom; R2 represents a single bond or a divalent linking group; and Y represents an aromatic hydrocarbon group or an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having a polycyclic group, provided that the aromatic hydrocarbon group or the aliphatic hydrocarbon may have a carbon atom or a hydrogen atom thereof substituted with a substituent.

Abstract: A method of producing a structure containing a phase-separated structure, including a step in which a layer including an Si-containing block copolymer having a plurality of blocks bonded is formed between guide patterns on a substrate; a step in which a solution of a top coat material is applied to the layer and the guide patterns so as to form a top coat film; and a step in which the layer including the Si-containing block copolymer and having the top coat film formed thereon is subjected to annealing treatment so as to conduct a phase separation of the layer; in which a solvent of the solution of the top coat material contains no basic substance.

Abstract: A negative resist composition including a complex represented by the general formula (1); and a polymerization initiator. in which M represents hafnium (Hf) or zirconium (Zr), X represents a ligand including a conjugate base of an acid which has an acid dissociation constant (pKa) of 3.8 or less and has a polymerizable group, Y represents a ligand having no polymerizable group, and n represents an integer of 1 to 4.

Abstract: A method of producing a polymeric compound, including: copolymerizing a monomer containing an —SO2— containing cyclic group with a monomer containing an acid decomposable group which exhibits increased polarity by the action of acid, thereby obtaining the polymeric compound, provided that the polymeric compound comprises no structural unit derived from a monomer that generates acid upon exposure, wherein the copolymerizing is conducted in the presence of 0.001 to 1.0 mol % of a basic compound, based on the monomer containing an —SO2— containing cyclic group.

Abstract: A resist composition which can form a very fine resist pattern with excellent lithography properties, a new polymeric compound useful for the resist composition, and a compound useful as a monomer for the polymeric compound. The resist composition contains a polymeric compound containing a structural unit (a0) represented by general formula (a0) shown below. In the formula (a0), A is an anion represented by the general formula (1) or (2).

Abstract: A method of forming a structure containing a phase-separated structure, the method including applying a block copolymer solution to a substrate to form a layer containing a block copolymer and having a film thickness of less than 100 nm; and phase-separating the layer containing the block copolymer, a solvent of the block copolymer solution comprising a poor solvent exhibiting a poor solubility for a homopolymer A of one of the blocks of the block copolymer.

Abstract: A resist composition including a base component (A), which exhibits changed solubility in a developing solution under the action of acid and can be used in a lithography process that employs light having a wavelength of 193 nm or less as the exposure light source, an acid generator component (B) which generates acid upon exposure, and a polymeric compound (C) having a structural unit (c0) represented by general formula (c0) shown below, wherein the amount of the polymeric compound (C) is less than 25 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the base component (A). In the formula, R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a halogenated alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and R1 represents an organic group having one or more primary or secondary alcoholic hydroxyl groups, or a chain-like tertiary alcoholic hydroxyl group.

Abstract: A method of producing a structure containing a phase-separated structure, the method including: a step of forming a layer of a neutralization film; a step of form a layer containing a mixture of a plurality of block copolymers having different periods; and a step of phase-separating the layer containing the plurality of block copolymers.