Abstract: A compound represented by formula (I); and a compound represented by formula (b1-1): wherein X represents —O—, —S—, —O—R3— or —S—R4—, wherein each of R3 and R4 independently represents an alkylene group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms; R2 represents an alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a halogenated alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, a hydroxyalkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a hydroxyl group or a cyano group; a represents an integer of 0 to 2; Q1 represents an alkylene group of 1 to 12 carbon atoms or a single bond; Y1 represents an alkylene group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a fluorinated alkylene group; M+ represents an alkali metal ion; and A+ represents an organic cation.

Abstract: A resist composition which is stable relative to solvents used in immersion lithography processes and displays excellent sensitivity and resist pattern profile, and a method of forming a resist pattern that uses such a resist composition are provided. The resist composition is in accordance with predetermined parameters, or is a positive resist composition comprising a resin component (A) which contains an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group and displays increased alkali solubility under the action of acid, an acid generator component (B), and an organic solvent (C), wherein the component (A) contains a structural unit (a1) derived from a (meth)acrylate ester containing an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group, but contains no structural units (a0), including structural units (a0-1) containing an anhydride of a dicarboxylic acid and structural units (a0-2) containing a phenolic hydroxyl group.

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 composition for immersion lithography of the present invention includes a resin component (A) which exhibits changed alkali solubility under the action of acid; and an acid generator component (B) which generates acid on exposure, wherein the resin component (A) includes a resin (A1) containing a fluorine atom and no acid-dissociable group, and a resin (A2) containing a structural unit (a?) derived from an acrylic acid and no fluorine atom.

Abstract: A resist composition including a base component (A) and an acid-generator component (B), the acid-generator component (B) including an acid generator (B1) including a compound represented by general formula (b1-8) shown below (wherein R401 represents an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group; R41 to R43 each independently represents a halogen atom, a halogenated alkyl group, an alkyl group, an acetyl group, an alkoxy group, a carboxy group or a hydroxyalkyl group; Q represents a divalent linking group or a single bond; and X? represents an anion) or an acid generator (B1?) including a compound represented by general formula (b1-9) shown below (wherein R402 and R403 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or a halogenated alkyl group; R404 represents an alkyl group or a halogenated alkyl group, wherein R403 and R404 may be bonded to each other to form a ring structure; and X? represents an anion).

Abstract: The invention provides a polymer compound capable of forming a positive resist composition that can form a high-resolution pattern with a reduced level of LER, an acid generator formed from such a polymer compound, a positive resist composition that includes such a polymer compound, and a method for forming a resist pattern that uses such a positive resist composition.

Abstract: There are provided a novel compound represented by a general formula (b1-1) shown below, which is useful as an acid generator for a resist composition and a manufacturing method thereof, a compound useful as a precursor of the novel compound and a manufacturing method thereof, an acid generator, a resist composition and a method of forming a resist pattern.

Abstract: A compound represented by general formula (b-14); and acid generator consisting of the compound; and a resist composition including a base component (A) which exhibits changed solubility in an alkali developing solution under action of acid and an acid-generator component (B) which generates acid upon exposure, the acid-generator component (B) including an acid generator (B1) consisting of a compound represented by general formula (b1-14): wherein R7? to R9? each independently represents an aryl group or an alkyl group, wherein two of R7? to R9? may be bonded to each other to form a ring with the sulfur atom, and at least one of R7? to R9? represents a substituted aryl group in which a portion or all of the hydrogen atoms are substituted with an alkoxyalkyloxy group or an alkoxycarbonylalkyloxy group; and X? represents an anion.

Abstract: 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 composition including a base component (A) and an acid-generator component (B), the acid-generator component (B) including an acid generator (B1) including a compound represented by general formula (b1-8) shown below (wherein R401 represents an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group; R41 to R43 each independently represents a halogen atom, a halogenated alkyl group, an alkyl group, an acetyl group, an alkoxy group, a carboxy group or a hydroxyalkyl group; Q represents a divalent linking group or a single bond; and X? represents an anion) or an acid generator (B1?) including a compound represented by general formula (b1-9) shown below (wherein R403 and R403 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or a halogenated alkyl group; R404 represents an alkyl group or a halogenated alkyl group, wherein R403 and R404 may be bonded to each other to form a ring structure; and X? represents an anion).

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: The positive resist composition of the present invention is a polymer compound comprising at least one constituent unit (a1) selected from the group consisting of constituent units represented by the following general formulas (1) and (1)?, a constituent unit (a2) derived from an (?-lower alkyl)acrylate ester having a lactone-containing monocycle or a polycyclic group, and a constituent unit (a3) which is a constituent unit other than the constituent unit (a1) and the constituent unit (a2) and is derived from an (?-lower alkyl)acrylate ester which has an aliphatic cyclic group-containing non-acid dissociable dissolution inhibiting group and does not have a polar group: wherein R represents a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a lower alkyl group having 20 or less carbon atoms, or a fluorinated lower alkyl group having 20 or less carbon atoms, R1 represents at most 20-membered cyclic group which may have a substituent, n represents 0 or an integer of 1 to 5, and m represents 0 or 1.

Abstract: A polymer, a positive resist composition, and a method for forming a resist pattern that are able to form a resist pattern with a high level of resolution and excellent etching resistance. The present invention uses a polymer that contains a structural unit (a1) represented by a general formula (a-1) shown below and a structural unit (a2) represented by a general formula (a-2) shown below, another polymer that contains the structural unit (a1) and a structural unit (a3) represented by a general formula (a-3) shown below, and another polymer that contains the structural unit (a1), the structural unit (a2), and the structural unit (a3).

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 positive resist composition which is obtained by dissolving (A) a resin ingredient for resists and (B) an acid generator ingredient in an organic solvent, wherein the ingredient (A) comprises (A1) a resin ingredient for resists which has the structural unit (a1), structural unit (a2), and structural unit (a3) shown below and which comes to have enhanced alkali solubility by the action of an acid. Structural unit (a1): unit represented by the following general formula (1). Structural unit (a2): unit derived from an (?-lower alkyl)acrylic ester having a lactone-containing monocyclic or poly-cyclic group. Structural unit (a3): unit derived from an (?-lower alkyl)acrylic ester having a polyalicyclic hydrocarbon group containing a polar group. (In the formula, represents hydrogen or lower alkyl; and R11 represents an acid-dissociable dissolution-inhibitive group comprising chain tertiary alkyl.

Abstract: There are provided a method of forming a resist pattern that enables the resist pattern to be formed with good control of the pattern size, as well as a positive resist composition used in the method, and a layered product formed using the positive resist composition. In the above method a positive resist composition comprising a resin component (A), which contains a structural unit (a1) derived from a (meth)acrylate ester represented by a general formula (I) shown below, and displays increased alkali solubility under action of acid, and an acid generator component (B) that generates acid on exposure is applied to a substrate, a prebake is conducted, the resist composition is selectively exposed, post exposure baking (PEB) is conducted, alkali developing is then used to form a resist pattern, and the pattern size of the thus produced resist pattern is then narrowed by heat treatment.

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 pattern forming method is provided. The pattern forming method includes a first step of forming a resist pattern including a lactone group-containing skeleton above an etched layer provided on a substrate; a second step of performing plasma processing using a hydrogen-containing gas to lower a glass transition temperature or a softening point of the resist pattern; and a third step of transferring the resist pattern after the plasma processing to the etched layer by etching, and forming the pattern of the etched layer.