Abstract: The present invention provides a chemical-amplification-type negative resist composition containing an alkali-soluble resin, a compound capable of generating an acid by irradiation and a crosslinking agent, and the resist composition of the present invention is characterized in that it further contains an organic carboxylic acid compound as an acidic compound and an organic amine compound as an alkaline compound.

Abstract: An undercoating composition layer to intervene between the surface of a substrate, e.g., a silicon wafer, and a photoresist layer to prevent noxious reflection of exposure light on the substrate surface in the photolithographic patterning work for the manufacture of semiconductor devices comprising: (A) a nitrogen-containing organic compound, as a crosslinking agent, having, in a molecule, at least two amino groups each substituted by at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of hydroxyalkyl groups and alkoxyalkyl groups; and (B) a homopolymer of or a copolymer of a mixture of monomers of which one is a (meth)acrylic acid ester of an aromatic hydroxyl compound selected from the group consisting of bisphenylsulfone compounds having at least one hydroxyl group in a molecule and benzophenone compounds having at least one hydroxyl group in a molecule in a specified proportion.

Abstract: Proposed is a novel undercoating composition to form an undercoating layer interposed between the surface of a substrate and a photoresist layer with an object to decrease the adverse influences by the reflection of light on the substrate surface in the pattern-wise exposure of the photoresist layer to ultraviolet light without the undesirable phenomena of intermixing between layers and notching along with a large selectivity ratio in the etching rates between the patterned resist layer and the undercoating layer in a dry-etching treatment. The undercoating composition comprises (A) an ultraviolet absorber which is a benzophenone compound or an aromatic azomethine compound each having at least one unsubstituted or alkyl-substituted amino group on the aryl groups and (B) a crosslinking agent which is preferably a melamine compound having at least two methylol groups or alkoxymethyl groups bonded to the nitrogen atoms in a molecule in a weight proportion (A):(B) in the range from 1:1 to 1:10.

Abstract: A proposal is made for the photolithographic formation of a patterned resist layer on a substrate without the troubles due to reflection of the exposure light on the substrate surface. Thus, patterning is conducted on a photoresist laminate comprising (a) a substrate; (b) a specific anti-reflection coating layer formed on one surface of the substrate; and (c) a photoresist layer formed on the anti-reflection coating layer from a specific negative-working chemical-sensitization photoresist composition comprising an oxime sulfonate acid generating agent.

Abstract: Proposed is a novel undercoating composition used in the photolithographic patterning of a photoresist layer by intervening between the substrate surface and the photoresist layer to decrease the adverse influences of the reflecting light from the substrate surface. The undercoating composition of the invention comprises (a) a melamine compound substituted by methylol groups and/or alkoxymethyl groups and (b) a polyhydroxy benzophenone compound, diphenyl sulfone compound or diphenyl sulfoxide compound, optionally, with admixture of (c) an alkali-insoluble resin of a (meth)acrylic acid ester.

Abstract: A polyhydroxystyrene where from 10 to 60 mol % of the hydroxyl groups have been substituted by tert-butoxycarbonyloxy groups.

Abstract: Proposed is an alkali-developable negative-working photoresist composition in the form of a solution capable of exhibiting high sensitivity and greatly improved stability of the resist layer of the composition on a substrate surface after pattern-wise exposure to actinic rays and kept for a substantial length of time before further processing. The photoresist composition comprises, as the essential ingredients, (a) an alkali-soluble resin such as a copolymer of hydroxystyrene and styrene; (b) a compound capable of releasing an acid when irradiated with actinic rays such as tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate; (c) a crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting of melamine resins and urea resins substituted at the N-positions by methylol groups, alkoxy methyl groups or a combination thereof; and (d) a sensitivity improver which is hexa(methoxymethyl) melamine or di(methoxymethyl) urea, each in a specified proportion.

Abstract: Proposed is a novel undercoating composition used in the photolithographic patterning of a photoresist layer by intervening between the substrate surface and the photoresist layer to decrease the adverse influences of the reflecting light from the substrate surface. The undercoating composition of the invention comprises (a) a melamine compound substituted by methylol groups and/or alkoxymethyl groups and (b) a polyhydroxy benzophenone compound, diphenyl sulfone compound or diphenyl sulfoxide compound, optionally, with admixture of (c) an alkali-insoluble resin of a (meth)acrylic acid ester.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved, chemically-amplifying positive resist composition for radiations, especially UV rays, deep-UV rays, excimer laser beams, X-rays, electron beams. The composition comprises (A) a resin component whose solubility in an alkaline aqueous solution is increased by the action of acids, (B) a compound which generates an acid when exposed to radiations, and (A) a resin component, (B) an acid-generating agent and (C) an organic carboxylic acid compound, in which said resin component (A) is a mixture comprising (a) a polyhydroxystyrene where from 10 to 60 mol % of the hydroxyl groups have been substituted by residues of a general formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R.sup.2 represents a methyl group or an ethyl group, and R.sup.3 represents a lower alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms;and (b) a polyhydroxystyrene where from 10 to 60 mol % of the hydroxyl groups have been substituted by tert-butoxycarbonyloxy groups.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel chemical-sensitization type negative-working photoresist composition capable of exhibiting high sensitivity to actinic rays and giving a patterned resist layer with high resolution and excellently orthogonal cross sectional profile of the patterned resist layer without occurrence of microbridges. The composition comprises (a) a poly(hydroxystyrene)-based resin; (b) a compound capable of releasing an acid by the irradiation with actinic rays such as tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate; and (c) a crosslinking agent such as a urea resin and melamine resin, each in a specified weight proportion, the poly(hydroxystyrene)-based resin as the component (a) having such a dispersion of the molecular weight distribution that the ratio of the weight-average molecular weight M.sub.w to the number-average molecular weight M.sub.n does not exceed 1.