Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention is a method and apparatus for sub-pellicle defect reduction on photomasks. One embodiment of a photomask for use in photolithography includes a substrate on which a pattern is formed, the substrate having a frontside and an opposite backside, and a protective coating formed on at least one of the frontside and the backside, the protective coating comprising silicon-based compound.

Abstract: A stable viscosity coating composition, a method of forming the stable viscosity coating composition and a method for using the stable viscosity coating composition in a micro-molding imprint lithographic process, such as Step and Flash Imprint Lithography is disclosed. The stable viscosity coating composition may include at least one vinyl ether having at least one vinyl ether group (—OCR?CR2), and a stabilizer, wherein the stabilizer may be 9-anthracenemethanol, a substituted 9-anthracenemethanol, phenothiazine, or a substituted phenothiazine. The coating composition may include a radiation sensitive photoacid generator (PAG). The method of forming the coating composition comprises combining at least one vinyl ether having at least one vinyl ether group (—OCR?CR2), and at least one stabilizer.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention is a method and apparatus for sub-pellicle defect reduction on photomasks. One embodiment of a photomask for use in photolithography includes a substrate on which a pattern is formed, the substrate having a frontside and an opposite backside, and a protective coating formed on at least one of the frontside and the backside, the protective coating comprising silicon-based compound.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention is a method and apparatus for sub-pellicle defect reduction on photomasks. One embodiment of a photomask for use in photolithography includes a substrate on which a pattern is formed, the substrate having a frontside and an opposite backside, and a protective coating formed on at least one of the frontside and the backside, the protective coating comprising silicon-based compound.

Abstract: Coating compositions suitable for UV imprint lithographic applications are disclosed that include at least one vinyl ether crosslinker having at least two vinyl ether groups; at least one diluent comprising a monofunctional vinyl ether compound; and at least one photoacid generator soluble in a selected one or both of the at least one monofunctional ether compound and the at least one vinyl ether compound, wherein the at least one monofunctional ether compound and the at least one vinyl ether compound are free from fluorine and silicon substituents. Also disclosed are imprint processes.

Abstract: Coating compositions suitable for UV imprint lithographic applications include at least one vinyl ether crosslinker having at least two vinyl ether groups; at least one diluent comprising a monofunctional vinyl ether compound; at least one photoacid generator soluble in a selected one or both of the at least one monofunctional vinyl ether compound and the at least one vinyl ether crosslinker having the at least two vinyl ether groups; and at least one stabilizer comprising an ester compound selectively substituted with a substituent at an ester position or an alpha and the ester positions. Also disclosed are imprint processes.

Abstract: Amorphous inorganic oxides are used as release layers on templates for nanoimprint lithography. Such a layer facilitates the release of a template from a cured, hardened composition into which the template has transferred a pattern, by reducing the adhesion energy between the release layer and the cured, hardened composition. The release layer may include one or more metallic or semiconductor elements such as Al, Cu, Co, Sb, Ti, Ta, W and Ge.

Abstract: Amorphous inorganic nitrides are used as release layers on templates for nanoimprint lithography. Such a layer facilitates the release of a template from a cured, hardened composition into which the template has transferred a pattern, by reducing the adhesion energy between the release layer and the cured, hardened composition. The release layer may include one or more metallic or semiconductor elements such as Al, Mn, B, Co, Ti, Ta, W and Ge.

Abstract: Coating compositions suitable for UV imprint lithographic applications include at least one vinyl ether crosslinker having at least two vinyl ether groups; at least one diluent comprising a monofunctional vinyl ether compound; at least one photoacid generator soluble in a selected one or both of the at least one monofunctional vinyl ether compound and the at least one vinyl ether crosslinker having the at least two vinyl ether groups; and at least one stabilizer comprising an ester compound selectively substituted with a substituent at an ester position or an alpha and the ester positions. Also disclosed are imprint processes.

Abstract: Coating compositions suitable for UV imprint lithographic applications are disclosed that include at least one vinyl ether crosslinker having at least two vinyl ether groups; at least one diluent comprising a monofunctional vinyl ether compound; and at least one photoacid generator soluble in a selected one or both of the at least one monofunctional ether compound and the at least one vinyl ether compound, wherein the at least one monofunctional ether compound and the at least one vinyl ether compound are free from fluorine and silicon substituents. Also disclosed are imprint processes.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention is a method and apparatus for sub-pellicle defect reduction on photomasks. One embodiment of a photomask for use in photolithography includes a substrate on which a pattern is formed, the substrate having a frontside and an opposite backside, and a protective coating formed on at least one of the frontside and the backside, the protective coating comprising silicon-based compound.

Abstract: An imprint process comprising coating a selected surface of a micropatterned template with a release composition having a basic reactive moiety; wherein the template is transparent to UV radiation; imprinting the template onto a photocationically curable composition; curing the UV curable composition to form an imprinted composition, wherein the release composition having a basic reactive moiety is effective to locally inhibit curing of the composition at an interface between the template and the imprinted composition; and releasing the template from the imprinted composition.

Abstract: A morphous inorganic nitrides are used as release layers on templates for nanoimprint lithography. Such a layer facilitates the release of a template from a cured, hardened composition into which the template has transferred a pattern, by reducing the adhesion energy between the release layer and the cured, hardened composition. The release layer may include one or more metallic or semiconductor elements such as Al, Mn, B, Co, Ti, Ta, W and Ge.

Abstract: Amorphous inorganic oxides are used as release layers on templates for nanoimprint lithography. Such a layer facilitates the release of a template from a cured, hardened composition into which the template has transferred a pattern, by reducing the adhesion energy between the release layer and the cured, hardened composition. The release layer may include one or more metallic or semiconductor elements such as Al, Cu, Co, Sb, Ti, Ta, W and Ge.

Abstract: An imprint process comprising coating a selected surface of a micropatterned template with a release composition having a basic reactive moiety; wherein the template is transparent to UV radiation; imprinting the template onto a photocationically curable composition; curing the UV curable composition to form an imprinted composition, wherein the release composition having a basic reactive moiety is effective to locally inhibit curing of the composition at an interface between the template and the imprinted composition; and releasing the template from the imprinted composition.

Abstract: An imprint process comprising coating a selected surface of a micropatterned template with a release composition having a basic reactive moiety; wherein the template is transparent to UV radiation; imprinting the template onto a photocationically curable composition; curing the UV curable composition to form an imprinted composition, wherein the release composition having a basic reactive moiety is effective to locally inhibit curing of the composition at an interface between the template and the imprinted composition; and releasing the template from the imprinted composition.

Abstract: A stable viscosity coating composition, a method of forming the stable viscosity coating composition and a method for using the stable viscosity coating composition in a micro-molding imprint lithographic process, such as Step and Flash Imprint Lithography is disclosed. The stable viscosity coating composition may include at least one vinyl ether having at least one vinyl ether group (—OCR?CR2), and a stabilizer, wherein the stabilizer may be 9-anthracenemethanol, a substituted 9-anthracenemethanol, phenothiazine, or a substituted phenothiazine. The coating composition may include a radiation sensitive photoacid generator (PAG). The method of forming the coating composition comprises combining at least one vinyl ether having at least one vinyl ether group (—OCR?CR2), and at least one stabilizer.

Abstract: A method of forming an image. The method includes: a transfer layer on a substrate; forming on the transfer layer, an etch barrier layer; pressing a template having a relief pattern into the etch barrier layer; exposing the etch barrier layer to actinic radiation forming a cured etch barrier layer having thick and thin regions corresponding to the relief pattern; removing the template; removing the thin regions of the cured etch barrier layer; removing regions of the transfer layer not protected by the etch barrier layer; removing regions of the substrate not protected by the transfer layer and any remaining etch barrier layer; and removing remaining transfer layer. The transfer layer may be removed using a solvent, the etch barrier layer may include a release agent and an adhesion layer may be formed between the transfer layer and the etch barrier layer. A reverse tone process is also described.

Abstract: Lithographic imaging of 50 nm (or less) half-pitch features in chemically amplified resists (commonly used in the manufacture of integrated circuits) is enabled by the use of reduced temperature post-exposure processing and low activation energy chemically amplified resists. The post-exposure processing preferably involves ambient to moderately elevated temperature and the presence of a deprotection reaction-dependent co-reactant (e.g., water).

Abstract: A method and system is provided for computing lithographic images that may take into account non-scalar effects such as lens birefringence, resist stack effects, tailored source polarizations, and blur effects of the mask and the resist. A generalized bilinear kernel is formed, which is independent of the mask transmission function, and which may then be treated using a decomposition to allow rapid computation of an image that includes such non-scalar effects. Weighted pre-images may be formed from a coherent sum of pre-computed convolutions of the dominant eigenfunctions of the generalized bilinear kernel with the appropriate mask polygon sectors. The image at a point may be formed from the incoherent sum of the weighted pre-images over all of the dominant eigenfunctions of the generalized bilinear kernel. The resulting image can then be used to perform model-based optical proximity correction (MBOPC).