Abstract: There is provided a positive type resin composition comprising (A) a resin component comprising within the principal chain a structural unit derived from a (meth)acrylate ester and incorporating an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group containing a polycyclic group on an ester side chain section, for which the solubility in alkali increases under the action of acid, (B) an acid generator component which generates acid on exposure, and (C) an organic solvent, wherein the component (A) comprises both a structural unit derived from a methacrylate ester and a structural unit derived from an acrylate ester. According to such a resist composition, a resist pattern can be formed which displays little surface roughness and line edge roughness on etching, and also offers excellent resolution and a wide depth of focus range.

Abstract: There is provided a positive type resin composition comprising (A) a resin component comprising within the principal chain a structural unit derived from a (meth)acrylate ester and incorporating an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group containing a polycyclic group on an ester side chain section, for which the solubility in alkali increases under the action of acid, (B) an acid generator component which generates acid on exposure, and (C) an organic solvent, wherein the component (A) comprises both a structural unit derived from a methacrylate ester and a structural unit derived from an acrylate ester. According to such a resist composition, a resist pattern can be formed which displays little surface roughness and line edge roughness on etching, and also offers excellent resolution and a wide depth of focus range.

Abstract: There is provided a positive type resin composition comprising (A) a resin component comprising within the principal chain a structural unit derived from a (meth)acrylate ester and incorporating an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group containing a polycyclic group on an ester side chain section, for which the solubility in alkali increases under the action of acid, (B) an acid generator component which generates acid on exposure, and (C) an organic solvent, wherein the component (A) comprises both a structural unit derived from a methacrylate ester and a structural unit derived from an acrylate ester. According to such a resist composition, a resist pattern can be formed which displays little surface roughness and line edge roughness on etching, and also offers excellent resolution and a wide depth of focus range.

Abstract: There is provided a positive type resin composition comprising (A) a resin component comprising within the principal chain a structural unit derived from a (meth)acrylate ester and incorporating an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group containing a polycyclic group on an ester side chain section, for which the solubility in alkali increases under the action of acid, (B) an acid generator component which generates acid on exposure, and (C) an organic solvent, wherein the component (A) comprises both a structural unit derived from a methacrylate ester and a structural unit derived from an acrylate ester. According to such a resist composition, a resist pattern can be formed which displays little surface roughness and line edge roughness on etching, and also offers excellent resolution and a wide depth of focus range.

Abstract: There is provided a positive type resin composition comprising (A) a resin component comprising within the principal chain a structural unit derived from a (meth)acrylate ester and incorporating an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group containing a polycyclic group on an ester side chain section, for which the solubility in alkali increases under the action of acid, (B) an acid generator component which generates acid on exposure, and (C) an organic solvent, wherein the component (A) comprises both a structural unit derived from a methacrylate ester and a structural unit derived from an acrylate ester. According to such a resist composition, a resist pattern can be formed which displays little surface roughness and line edge roughness on etching, and also offers excellent resolution and a wide depth of focus range.

Abstract: A resist pattern forming method which can prevent a fine resist pattern from collapsing in a drying step after a development treatment in case of forming a resist pattern is provided. This method comprises applying a positive resist composition comprising a resin component (A), which has an alkali-soluble unit content of less than 20 mol % and also has an acid dissociable dissolution inhibiting group, alkali solubility thereof being enhanced by action of acid, an acid generator component (B) which generates an acid under exposure, and an organic solvent (C) which dissolves the components (A) and (B) on a substrate; subjecting the resulting film to prebaking, selective exposure, post exposure baking and alkali development; performing a displacing step of displacing a liquid existing on the substrate with a displacing liquid at least one time; displacing the displacing liquid with a liquid for critical drying; and performing a drying step of drying the liquid for critical drying via a critical state.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel multilayered body for photo-lithographic patterning of a photoresist layer from which a patterned resist layer having an excellent cross sectional profile can be obtained when the multilayered structure comprises, on the surface of a substrate, an underlying water-insoluble anti-reflection film and a negative-working photoresist layer of a specific photoresist composition comprising: (A) 100 parts by weight of an alkali-soluble resin; (B) from 0.5 to 20 parts by weight of an onium salt compound capable of releasing an acid by irradiation with actinic rays; and (C) from 3 to 50 parts by weight of a glycoluril compound substituted by at least one hydroxyalkyl group or alkoxyalkyl group at the N-position.

Abstract: There is provided a positive resist composition which, during resist pattern formation, can prevent the collapse of very fine resist patterns during the drying step following developing. This positive resist composition is used in a resist pattern formation method comprising a step, within the lithography process, for substituting a liquid remaining on the substrate following alkali developing with a critical drying liquid, and then drying this critical drying liquid by causing passage through a critical state.

Abstract: There is provided a photoresist composition capable of forming a resist pattern with minimal LER, and a method of forming a resist pattern. This method is a method of producing a (meth)acrylic acid derivative polymer for use as a resist by radical polymerization of a monomer mixture comprising (a1) a (meth)acrylate ester with an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group, and (a2) a (meth)acrylate ester with a lactone unit, wherein (a1) and (a2) utilize compounds such that when each compound (a1) and (a2) is individually subjected to homopolymerization, under identical conditions to the radical polymerization, and a residual monomer ratio is determined 10 minutes after the start of the homopolymerization, the difference between the minimum residual monomer ratio and the maximum residual monomer ratio is no more than 15 mol %.

Abstract: There is provided a positive type resin composition comprising (A) a resin component comprising within the principal chain a structural unit derived from a (meth)acrylate ester and incorporating an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group containing a polycyclic group on an ester side chain section, for which the solubility in alkali increases under the action of acid, (B) an acid generator component which generates acid on exposure, and (C) an organic solvent, wherein the component (A) comprises both a structural unit derived from a methacrylate ester and a structural unit derived from an acrylate ester. According to such a resist composition, a resist pattern can be formed which displays little surface roughness and line edge roughness on etching, and also offers excellent resolution and a wide depth of focus range.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel negative-working chemical-amplification photoresist composition comprising (A) an alkali-soluble resin, (B) an acid-generating agent and (C) a crosslinking agent, of which the component (B) is an onium salt compound selected from the group consisting of iodonium salt compounds and sulfonium salt compounds, having a specific fluoroalkyl sulfonate ion as the anionic moiety and the component (C) is a specific ethyleneurea compound substituted for at least one nitrogen atom by a hydroxymethyl or alkoxymethyl group. The photoresist composition is particularly suitable for the formation of a photoresist layer on a substrate surface provided with an undercoating of a water-insoluble organic anti-reflection film exhibiting excellent pattern resolution and orthogonal cross sectional profile of the patterned resist layer with a good temperature latitude in the post-exposure baking treatment for latent image formation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel multilayered body for photolithographic patterning of a photoresist layer from which a patterned resist layer having an excellent cross sectional profile can be obtained when the multilayered structure comprises, on the surface of a substrate, an underlying water-insoluble anti-reflection film and a negative-working photoresist layer of a specific photoresist composition comprising: (A) 100 parts by weight of an alkali-soluble resin; (B) from 0.5 to 20 parts by weight of an onium salt compound capable of releasing an acid by irradiation with actinic rays; and (C) from 3 to 50 parts by weight of a glycoluril compound substituted by at least one hydroxyalkyl group or alkoxyalkyl group at the N-position.

Abstract: There is provided a positive type resin composition comprising (A) a resin component comprising within the principal chain a structural unit derived from a (meth)acrylate ester and incorporating an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group containing a polycyclic group on an ester side chain section, for which the solubility in alkali increases under the action of acid, (B) an acid generator component which generates acid on exposure, and (C) an organic solvent, wherein

Abstract: There is provided a positive type resist composition comprising (A) a resin component with only units derived from an acrylate ester in the principal chain, for which the solubility in alkali increases under the action of acid, (B) an acid generator component which generates acid on exposure, and (C) an organic solvent component, wherein the resin component (A) is a copolymer comprising (al) a structural unit derived from an acrylate ester comprising, as an acid dissociable dissolution inhibiting group on a side chain, a polycyclic dissolution inhibiting group which is eliminated more easily than a 2-methyl-2-adamantyl group, (a2) a structural unit derived from an acrylate ester comprising a lactone containing polycyclic group on a side chain, and (a3) a structural unit derived from an acrylate ester comprising a hydroxyl group containing polycyclic group on a side chain; as well as a resist pattern formation method using such a composition.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid coating composition for forming a top antireflective film that contains a polymer, the polymer containing, as a structural unit, a (meth)acrylate unit that has at least one polycyclic hydrocarbon group on its side chain and becomes more soluble to alkali by the action of an acid, the liquid coating composition comprising: (a) a water-soluble, film-forming component; (b) at least one fluorine-based compound selected from a perfluoroalkylcarboxylic acid having 4 or more carbon atoms and a perfluoroalkylsulfonic acid having 5 or more carbon atoms; and (c) a fluoroalkylsulfonic acid having 1-4 carbon atoms and/or an acidic compound consisting of a hydrocarbon having 1-4 carbon atoms in which one or more hydrogen atoms are substituted with a fluoloalkylsulfonyl group(s), with the proviso that one or more carbon atoms therein may be substituted with a nitrogen atom(s).

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel multilayered body for photolitho-graphic patterning of a photoresist layer from which a patterned resist layer having an excellent cross sectional profile can be obtained when the multilayered structure comprises, on the surface of a substrate, an underlying water-insoluble anti-reflection film and a negative-working photoresist layer of a specific photoresist composition comprising:

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel multilayered body for photolithographic patterning of a photoresist layer from which a patterned resist layer having an excellent cross sectional profile can be obtained when the multilayered structure comprises, on the surface of a substrate, an underlying water-insoluble anti-reflection film and a negative-working photoresist layer of a specific photoresist composition comprising: (A) 100 parts by weight of an alkali-soluble resin; (B) from 0.5 to 20 parts by weight of an onium salt compound capable of releasing an acid by irradiation with actinic rays; and (C) from 3 to 50 parts by weight of a glycoluril compound substituted by at least one hydroxyalkyl group or alkoxyalkyl group at the N-position.

Abstract: A composition includes a copolymer of vinylimidazole with a water-soluble film-forming monomer other than vinylimidazole, and a fluorine-containing surfactant. A resist laminate is obtained by forming an anti-reflection coating on the surface of a photoresist film, which anti-refection coating is composed of a coating solution obtained by dissolving the composition in water. The composition for lithographic anti-reflection coating has balanced compatibility with conventional photoresist compositions. By using the composition, a semiconductor device can be efficiently produced without the clogging of waste fluids in a waste fluid pipe, even when the application of the photoresist composition and the formation of the anti-reflection coating are sequentially performed using one coater. This composition is also advantageous for saving space in a clean room.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel negative-working chemical-amplification photoresist composition comprising (A) an alkali-soluble resin, (B) an acid-generating agent and (C) a crosslinking agent, of which the component (B) is an onium salt compound having a specific fluoroalkyl sulfonate ion as the anionic moiety and the component (C) is a specific ethyleneurea compound substituted for at least one nitrogen atom by a hydroxymethyl or alkoxymethyl group. The photoresist composition is particularly suitable for the formation of a photoresist layer on a substrate surface provided with an undercoating of a water-insoluble organic anti-reflection film exhibiting excellent pattern resolution and orthogonal cross sectional profile of the patterned resist layer with a good temperature latitude in the post-exposure baking treatment for latent image formation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel negative-working chemical-amplification photoresist composition comprising (A) an alkali-soluble resin, (B) an acid-generating agent and (C) a crosslinking agent, of which the component (B) is an onium salt compound selected from the group consisting of iodonium salt compounds and sulfonium salt compounds, having a specific fluoroalkyl sulfonate ion as the anionic moiety and the component (C) is a specific ethyleneurea compound substituted for at least one nitrogen atom by a hydroxymethyl or alkoxymethyl group. The photoresist composition is particularly suitable for the formation of a photoresist layer on a substrate surface provided with an undercoating of a water-insoluble organic anti-reflection film exhibiting excellent pattern resolution and orthogonal cross sectional profile of the patterned resist layer with a good temperature latitude in the post-exposure baking treatment for latent image formation.