Abstract: This invention provides a novel cleaning liquid for lithography that, for a photoresist pattern, is used for reducing a surface defect, that is, defect, of a product, preventing pattern collapse during water rinsing, and further imparting electron beam irradiation resistance to a resist to suppress pattern shrinkage. Further, in the novel cleaning liquid for lithography, bacteria contamination does not occur during storage. The cleaning liquid for lithography comprises an aqueous solution containing an amine oxide compound represented by general formula wherein R1 represents an alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group having 8 to 20 carbon atoms which may be interrupted by an oxygen atom; and R2 and R3 represent an alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms.

Abstract: The invention provides a novel rinsing fluid which can convert an easily wettable resist pattern surface having a contact angle of 40° or below into one having a contact angle of 70° or above to inhibit pattern collapse effectively and thereby give high-quality products.

Abstract: This invention provides a novel developing solution composition for lithography, which can efficiently reduce defects without varying the formulation of a resist composition per se and without sacrificing the quality of a resist pattern by the use thereof, and a novel method for resist pattern formation using the developing solution composition, which can reduce the occurrence of defects and can be combined with subsequent specific rinsing liquid treatment to control pattern collapse. The developing solution composition comprises a solution containing tetraalkylammonium hydroxide and at least one polymer selected from water soluble or alkali soluble polymers comprising monomer constituent units with a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring.

Abstract: A novel rinse solution for lithography to be used for suppressing contraction of a pattern and a method for forming a resist pattern using the rinse solution are provided, by reducing product surface defects of a photoresist pattern and providing the photoresist pattern with resistance to electronic beam irradiation. The rinse solution for lithography composed of a solution including a water-soluble resin having a nitrogen atom in a molecular structure is prepared. The resist pattern is formed with the rinse solution by performing (A) a process of providing a photoresist film on a board, (B) a process of selectively exposing the photoresist film through a mask pattern, (C) a process of performing post exposure bake (PEB), (D) a process of alkaline development, and (E) a process of treatment with the rinse solution for lithography.

Abstract: A method of producing a high-quality product without damaging the physical properties of a pattern to be formed by a rinsing process based on a principle totally different from that for a conventional pattern collapse preventing method. A method for forming a resist pattern by subjecting a photo-resist layer provided on a substrate to image-forming exposure and then developing the resultant layer, wherein the resist pattern is formed, after the developing process, by the process of reducing a contact angle with respect to a contact liquid on the surface of the resist pattern to up to 40 degrees, then by the process of increasing it to at least 70 degrees, and further by drying it.

Abstract: A material for forming a protective film comprising an organic solvent and a compound having at least two alicyclic structures.

Abstract: The invention provides a novel rinse solution used in the step of rinse treatment of a patterned photoresist layer developed with an aqueous alkaline developer solution in a photolithographic process for the manufacture of semiconductor devices and liquid crystal display panels. The rinse solution provided by the invention is an aqueous solution of a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound such as imidazoline, pyridine and the like in a concentration up to 10% by mass. Optionally, the rinse solution of the invention further contains a water-miscible alcoholic or glycolic organic solvent and/or a water-soluble resin. The invention also provides a lithographic method for the formation of a patterned photoresist layer including a step of rinse treatment of an alkali-developed resist layer with the rinse solution defined above. The invention provides an improvement on the lithographic process in respect of the product quality and efficiency of the process.

Abstract: There is provided a base material for lithography that is capable of achieving superior film formation characteristics, while maintaining good light absorption characteristics. The base material for lithography comprises (a) a cross linking agent formed from a specific nitrogen containing compound, (b) a copolymer comprising two types of (meth)acrylate ester units as represented by the general formulas (1) and (2) shown below, and (c) an organic solvent: wherein, R1 represents a hydroxyl group or a carboxyl group or the like, and X represents an alkyl chain of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and wherein, R2 represents a hydroxyl group or a carboxyl group or the like, Y represents —SO2—, —CO— or —SO—; and n represents a number from 1 to 4.

Abstract: There is provided a base material for lithography that is capable of achieving superior film formation characteristics, while maintaining good light absorption characteristics.

Abstract: The invention discloses a protective coating solution suitable for forming a resinous protective coating layer on a patterned resist layer in the manufacture of semiconductor devices having, in particular, crowdedly hole-patterned areas and areas of an isolated hole pattern. The essential ingredients of the solution are (A) a resinous compound such as an acrylic resin and (B) a crosslinking compound such as a triazine compound which are combined in such a proportion of 2:8 to 4:6 by weight that the overall weight-average molecular weight of the components (A) and (B) is in the range from 1300 to 4500. This inventive coating solution is advantageous in respect of evenness in the thickness of the coating layer even on a patterned resist layer having a crowdedly hole-patterned area and an isolatedly hole-patterned area and absence of unfilled voids within the hole patterns.

Abstract: A material for forming a protective film comprising an organic solvent and a compound having at least two alicyclic structures.

Abstract: The invention discloses a protective coating solution suitable for forming a resinous protective coating layer on a patterned resist layer in the manufacture of semiconductor devices having, in particular, crowdedly hole-patterned areas and areas of an isolated hole pattern. The essential ingredients of the solution are (A) a resinous compound such as an acrylic resin and (B) a crosslinking compound such as a triazine compound which are combined in such a proportion of 2:8 to 4:6 by weight that the overall weight-average molecular weight of the components (A) and (B) is in the range from 1300 to 4500. This inventive coating solution is advantageous in a respect of evenness in the thickness of the coating layer even on a patterned resist layer having a crowdedly hole-patterned area and an isolatedly hole-patterned area and absence of unfilled voids within the hole patterns.

Abstract: While it is important in the photolithographic patterning of a photoresist layer on a substrate surface for the manufacture of various electronic devices that the pattern-wise light exposure of the photoresist layer is preceded by partial removal of the photoresist layer on the non-patterning areas such as marginal areas, peripheral areas and back surface opposite to the surface for resist patterning by dissolving away the extraneous photoresist layer with a remover solvent, the invention proposes an improvement in the partial removal of the photoresist layer by using a specific organic solvent or solvent mixture selected relative to the surface tension of the solvent which, in particular, is a mixture of .gamma.-butyrolactone and anisole in a mixing ratio of 70:30 to 97:3 by weight.

Abstract: In a method of removing a coating from an edge of a substrate a solvent reservoir is filled with a solvent to dissolve and remove a photoresist film, the solvent includes one of dipropylene glycol monoalkyl ether, a mixture of this ether and an easily volatile organic solvent (boiling point of 75-130.degree. C., vapor pressure of 5-75 mmHg at 20.degree. C.), and an alkaline aqueous solution, an edge of a substrate W is horizontally inserted in the reservoir, and thereafter, the edge of the substrate W is immersed in the solvent for a period of time, so as to dissolve and remove a coating such as photoresist from the edge of the substrate. The solvent may be filled into the solvent reservoir either before or after the edge of the substrate is inserted therein, and the method may further involve aspirating the solvent from the reservoir after the substrate edge has been inserted therein.

Abstract: A positive-working photoresist composition comprising a cresol novolac resin as the film-forming agent and a quinonediazido group-containing compound as the photosensitizing agent is admixed with a limited amount of a hydroxyalkyl-substituted pyridine compound so that great improvements can be obtained in the adhesive bonding of the resist layer to the substrate surface and in the stability of the composition by storage still without the problem due to the sublimed material from the resist layer during the patterning process.