Patents by Inventor Takeru Watanabe

Takeru Watanabe has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Resist underlayer film composition and patterning process using the same
    Patent number: 8853031
    Abstract: There is disclosed a resist underlayer film composition, wherein the composition contains a polymer obtained by condensation of, at least, one or more compounds represented by the following general formulae (1-1) and/or (1-2), and one or more kinds of compounds, represented by the following general formulae (2-1) and/or (2-2), and/or equivalent bodies thereof. There can be provided an underlayer film composition, especially for a trilayer resist process, that can form an underlayer film having reduced reflectance, (namely, an underlayer film having optimum n-value and k-value as an antireflective film), excellent filling-up properties, high pattern-antibending properties, and not causing line fall or wiggling after etching especially in a high aspect line that is thinner than 60 nm, and a patterning process using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Ogihara, Daisuke Kori, Yusuke Biyajima, Takeru Watanabe, Toshihiko Fujii, Takeshi Kinsho
  • Naphthalene derivative, resist bottom layer material, and patterning process
    Patent number: 8846846
    Abstract: A naphthalene derivative having formula (1) is provided wherein Ar1 and Ar2 denote a benzene or naphthalene ring, and n is such a natural number as to provide a weight average molecular weight of up to 100,000. A material comprising the naphthalene derivative or a polymer comprising the naphthalene derivative is spin coated to form a resist bottom layer having improved properties. A pattern forming process in which a resist bottom layer formed by spin coating is combined with an inorganic hard mask formed by CVD is available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kinsho, Daisuke Kori, Katsuya Takemura, Takeru Watanabe, Tsutomu Ogihara
  • WET STRIP PROCESS FOR AN ANTIREFLECTIVE COATING LAYER
    Publication number: 20140273501
    Abstract: An silicon-containing antireflective coating (SiARC) material is applied on a substrate. The SiARC material which includes a base polymer and may include a boron silicate polymer including silsesquioxane. An etch sequence is utilized, which includes a first wet etch employing a basic solution, a second wet etch employing an acidic solution, and a third wet etch employing another basic solution. The first wet etch can be employed to break up the boron silicate polymer, and the second wet etch can remove the base polymer material, and the third wet etch can remove the residual boron silicate polymer and other residual materials. The SiARC material can be removed from a substrate employing the etch sequence, and the substrate can be reused for monitoring purposes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicants: SHIN-ETSU Chemical Company, Ltd., International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Glodde, Wu-Song Huang, Javier J. Perez, Takeshi Kinsho, Tsutomu Ogihara, Seiichiro Tachibana, Takeru Watanabe
  • Fluoroalcohol, fluorinated monomer, polymer, resist composition and patterning process
    Patent number: 8835094
    Abstract: Fluoroalcohol compounds of formula (1) are useful in producing polymers which are used as the base resin to formulate radiation-sensitive resist compositions having transparency to radiation having a wavelength of up to 500 nm and improved development characteristics. R1 is hydrogen or a monovalent C1-C20 hydrocarbon group in which any constituent —CH2— moiety may be replaced by —O— or —C(?O)—, Aa is a (k1+1)-valent C1-C20 hydrocarbon or fluorinated hydrocarbon group, and k1 is 1, 2 or 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Hasegawa, Takeru Watanabe, Tomohiro Kobayashi, Takeshi Kinsho
  • Resist underlayer film composition, process for forming resist underlayer film, patterning process and fullerene derivative
    Patent number: 8835092
    Abstract: There is disclosed a resist underlayer film composition of a multilayer resist film used in lithography including (A) a fullerene derivative having a carboxyl group protected by a thermally labile group and (B) an organic solvent. There can be a resist underlayer film composition of a multilayer resist film used in lithography for forming a resist underlayer in which generation of wiggling in substrate etching can be highly suppressed and the poisoning problem in forming an upper layer pattern using a chemically amplified resist can be avoided, a process for forming the resist underlayer film, a patterning process and a fullerene derivative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeru Watanabe, Takeshi Kinsho, Tsutomu Ogihara, Katsuya Takemura, Toshihiko Fujii, Daisuke Kori
  • Biphenyl derivative, resist bottom layer material, bottom layer forming method, and patterning process
    Patent number: 8835697
    Abstract: A biphenyl derivative having formula (1) is provided wherein Ar1 and Ar2 denote a benzene or naphthalene ring, and x and z each are 0 or 1. A material comprising the biphenyl derivative or a polymer comprising recurring units of the biphenyl derivative is spin coated and heat treated to form a resist bottom layer having improved properties, optimum values of n and k, step coverage, etch resistance, heat resistance, solvent resistance, and minimized outgassing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Kori, Takeshi Kinsho, Katsuya Takemura, Tsutomu Ogihara, Takeru Watanabe, Hiroyuki Urano
  • Chemically amplified resist composition and patterning process
    Patent number: 8828641
    Abstract: A chemically amplified resist composition comprising a base polymer, an acid generator, and a basic compound of thiomorpholine dioxide structure has many advantages including a high contrast of alkaline dissolution rate before and after exposure, a good pattern profile after exposure, minimized roughness, and a wide focus margin. The resist composition which may be positive or negative is useful for the fabrication of VLSI and photomasks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Hatakeyama, Takeru Watanabe
  • Nitrogen-containing organic compound, chemically amplified positive resist composition, and patterning process
    Patent number: 8808964
    Abstract: An aralkylcarbamate of imidazole base is effective as the quencher. In a chemically amplified positive resist composition comprising the carbamate, deprotection reaction of carbamate takes place by reacting with the acid generated upon exposure to high-energy radiation, whereby the composition changes its basicity before and after exposure, resulting in a pattern profile with advantages including high resolution, rectangular shape, and minimized dark-bright difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Sagehashi, Takeru Watanabe, Tomohiro Kobayashi
  • Naphthalene derivative, resist bottom layer material, resist bottom layer forming method, and patterning process
    Patent number: 8795955
    Abstract: A naphthalene derivative having formula (1) is provided wherein cyclic structures Ar1 and Ar2 denote a benzene or naphthalene ring, X is a single bond or C1-C20 alkylene, m is 0 or 1, and n is such a natural number as to provide a molecular weight of up to 100,000. A material comprising the naphthalene derivative or a polymer comprising the naphthalene derivative is spin coated to form a resist bottom layer having improved properties. A pattern forming process in which a resist bottom layer formed by spin coating is combined with an inorganic hard mask formed by CVD is available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kinsho, Katsuya Takemura, Daisuke Kori, Takeru Watanabe, Tsutomu Ogihara
  • Acid-labile ester monomer having spirocyclic structure, polymer, resist composition, and patterning process
    Patent number: 8791288
    Abstract: An acid-labile ester monomer of spirocyclic structure has formula (1) wherein Z is a monovalent group having a polymerizable double bond, X is a divalent group which forms a cyclopentane, cyclohexane or norbornane ring, R2 is H or monovalent hydrocarbon, R3 and R4 are H or monovalent hydrocarbon, or R3 and R4, taken together, stand for a divalent group which forms a cyclopentane or cyclohexane ring, and n is 1 or 2. A polymer obtained from the acid-labile ester monomer has so high reactivity in acid-catalyzed elimination reaction that the polymer may be used to formulate a resist composition having high resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kinsho, Tomohiro Kobayashi, Masayoshi Sagehashi, Takeru Watanabe, Koji Hasegawa, Seiichiro Tachibana
  • Nitrogen-containing organic compound, chemically amplified positive resist composition, and patterning process
    Patent number: 8778591
    Abstract: An aralkylcarbamate of imidazole base is effective as the quencher. In a chemically amplified positive resist composition comprising the carbamate, deprotection reaction of carbamate takes place by reacting with the acid generated upon exposure to high-energy radiation, whereby the composition changes its basicity before and after exposure, resulting in a pattern profile with advantages including high resolution, rectangular shape, and minimized dark-bright difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Sagehashi, Takeru Watanabe, Tomohiro Kobayashi
  • Preparation of 2,2-bis (fluoroalkyl) oxirane and preparation of photoacid generator therefrom
    Patent number: 8686166
    Abstract: A 2,2-bis(fluoroalkyl)oxirane (A) is prepared by reacting a fluorinated alcohol (1) with a chlorinating, brominating or sulfonylating agent under basic conditions to form an oxirane precursor (2) and subjecting the oxirane precursor to ring closure under basic conditions. R1 and R2 are fluoroalkyl groups, R3 and R4 are hydrogen or monovalent hydrocarbon groups, X is chlorine, bromine or —OSO2R5 group, and R5 is alkyl or aryl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Sagehashi, Takeru Watanabe, Youichi Ohsawa, Koji Hasegawa, Masaki Ohashi
  • Resist pattern forming process
    Patent number: 8685629
    Abstract: A resist pattern is formed by coating a chemically amplified positive resist composition onto a substrate and prebaking to form a resist film, exposing to high-energy radiation, baking and developing with a developer to form a resist pattern, and heating the pattern for profile correction to such an extent that the line width may not undergo a change of at least 10%. An amount of a softening accelerator having a molecular weight of up to 800 is added to the resist composition comprising (A) a base resin, (B) an acid generator, (C) a nitrogen-containing compound, and (D) an organic solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiichi Masunaga, Takeru Watanabe, Satoshi Watanabe, Daisuke Domon
  • Resist underlayer film composition and patterning process using the same
    Patent number: 8663898
    Abstract: There is disclosed A resist underlayer film composition, wherein the composition contains a polymer obtained by condensation of, at least, one or more compounds represented by the following general formulae (1-1) and/or (1-2), one or more kinds of a compound represented by the following general formula (2), and one or more kinds of a compound, represented by the following general formula (3), and/or an equivalent body thereof. There can be provided an underlayer film composition, especially for a trilayer resist process, that can form an underlayer film having reduced reflectance, (namely, an underlayer film having optimum n-value and k-value as an antireflective film), excellent filling-up properties, high pattern-antibending properties, and not causing line fall or wiggling after etching especially in a high aspect line that is thinner than 60 nm, and a patterning process using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Ogihara, Takeru Watanabe, Yusuke Biyajima, Daisuke Kori, Takeshi Kinsho, Toshihiko Fujii
  • Pattern forming process, chemically amplified positive resist composition, and resist-modifying composition
    Patent number: 8658346
    Abstract: A pattern is formed by (1) coating a first positive resist composition onto a substrate, baking, patternwise exposing, PEB, and developing to form a first positive resist pattern including a large area feature, (2) applying a resist-modifying composition comprising a basic nitrogen-containing compound and heating to modify the first resist pattern, and (3) coating a second positive resist composition thereon, patternwise exposing, and developing to form a second resist pattern. The large area feature in the first resist pattern has a film retentivity of at least 50% after the second pattern formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeru Watanabe, Tsunehiro Nishi, Masashi Iio
  • Chemically amplified resist composition and patterning process
    Patent number: 8628908
    Abstract: A chemically amplified resist composition is provided comprising (A) a specific tertiary amine compound, (B) a specific acid generator, (C) a base resin having an acidic functional group protected with an acid labile group, which is substantially insoluble in alkaline developer and turns soluble in alkaline developer upon deprotection of the acid labile group, and (D) an organic solvent. The resist composition has a high resolution, improved defect control in the immersion lithography, and good shelf stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeru Watanabe, Tomohiro Kobayashi, Masayoshi Sagehashi, Takeshi Nagata, Youichi Ohsawa, Ryosuke Taniguchi
  • COMPOUND FOR FORMING ORGANIC FILM, AND ORGANIC FILM COMPOSITION USING THE SAME, PROCESS FOR FORMING ORGANIC FILM, AND PATTERNING PROCESS
    Publication number: 20130337649
    Abstract: The invention provides a compound for forming an organic film having a partial structure represented by the following formula (i) or (ii), wherein the ring structures Ar1, Ar2 and Ar3 each represent a substituted or unsubstituted benzene ring or naphthalene ring; e is 0 or 1; R0 represents a hydrogen atom or a linear, branched or cyclic monovalent organic group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms; L0 represents a linear, branched or cyclic divalent organic group having 1 to 32 carbon atoms; and the methylene group constituting L0 may be substituted by an oxygen atom or a carbonyl group. There can be provided an organic film composition for forming an organic film having high dry etching resistance as well as advanced filling/planarizing characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Inventors: Seiichiro TACHIBANA, Daisuke KORI, Tsutomu OGIHARA, Takeru WATANABE, Kazumi NODA, Toshiharu YANO
  • Photoacid generator, resist composition, and patterning process
    Patent number: 8609889
    Abstract: The photoacid generator produces a sulfonic acid which has a bulky cyclic structure in the sulfonate moiety and a straight-chain hydrocarbon group and thus shows a controlled acid diffusion behavior and an adequate mobility. The PAG is fully compatible with a resin to form a resist composition which performs well during the device fabrication process and solves the problems of resolution, LWR, and exposure latitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Ohashi, Youichi Ohsawa, Takeshi Kinsho, Takeru Watanabe
  • Resist underlayer film-forming composition, process for forming resist underlayer film and patterning process
    Patent number: 8603732
    Abstract: There is disclosed a resist underlayer film-forming composition comprising, at least: a resin (A) obtained by condensing a compound represented by the following general formula (1) with a compound represented by the following general formula (2) by the aid of an acid catalyst; a compound (B) represented by the general formula (1); a fullerene compound (C); and an organic solvent. There can be a resist underlayer film composition in a multi-layer resist film to be used in lithography, which underlayer film is excellent in property for filling up a height difference of a substrate, possesses a solvent resistance, and is not only capable of preventing occurrence of twisting during etching of a substrate, but also capable of providing an excellently decreased pattern roughness; a process for forming a resist underlayer film by using the composition; and a patterning process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Ogihara, Takeru Watanabe, Takeshi Kinsho, Katsuya Takemura, Toshihiko Fujii, Daisuke Kori
  • Resist composition and patterning process
    Patent number: 8592133
    Abstract: The present invention relates to: a resist composition such as a chemically amplified resist composition for providing an excellent pattern profile even at a substrate-side boundary face of resist, in addition to a higher resolution in photolithography for micro-fabrication, and particularly in photolithography adopting, as an exposure source, KrF laser, ArF laser, F2 laser, ultra-short ultraviolet light, electron beam, X-rays, or the like; and a patterning process utilizing the resist composition. The present invention provides a chemically amplified resist composition comprising one or more kinds of amine compounds or amine oxide compounds (except for those having a nitrogen atom of amine or amine oxide included in a ring structure of an aromatic ring) at least having a carboxyl group and having no hydrogen atoms covalently bonded to a nitrogen atom as a basic center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Watanabe, Akinobu Tanaka, Takeru Watanabe, Takeshi Kinsho