Abstract: Disclosed herein is a semiconductor device, including: a first group of transistors formed on a semiconductor substrate; and a second group of transistors formed on the semiconductor substrate, each of which is lower in operating voltage than each of the transistors in the first group; wherein each of the transistors in the first group includes a first gate electrode formed on the semiconductor substrate through a first gate insulating film, and a silicide layer formed on the first gate electrode; each of the transistors in the second group includes a second gate electrode formed in a trench for gate formation, formed in an insulating film above the semiconductor substrate, through a second gate insulating film; and a protective film is formed so as to cover the silicide layer on each of the first gate electrodes of the first group of transistors.

Abstract: A fluorine-containing compound represented by a general formula (c-1) shown below: [Chemical Formula 1] RX-AN-(OR2)a??(c-1) [wherein, RX represents an organic group, AN represents a naphthalene ring that may have a substituent, R2 represents a base dissociable group, and a represents 1 or 2, provided that at least one among AN and said a R2 groups contains a fluorine atom].

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a solid-state imaging device in which a charge generator that detects an electromagnetic wave and generates signal charges is formed on a semiconductor substrate and a negative-charge accumulated layer having negative fixed charges is formed above a detection plane of the charge generator, the method includes the steps of: forming an oxygen-feed film capable of feeding oxygen on the detection plane of the charge generator; forming a metal film that covers the oxygen-feed film on the detection plane of the charge generator; and performing heat treatment for the metal film in an inactive atmosphere to thereby form an oxide of the metal film between the metal film and the oxygen-feed film on the detection plane of the charge generator, the oxide being to serve as the negative-charge accumulated layer.

Abstract: A fluorine-containing polymeric compound which contains a structural unit (f1) that is decomposable in an alkali developing solution as a block copolymer portion, a base component (A) that exhibits increased solubility in an alkali developing solution under the action of acid, and an acid generator component (B) that generates acid upon exposure.

Abstract: A positive resist composition including a resin component (A) which exhibits increased solubility in an alkali developing solution under the action of acid and an acid-generator component (B), the resin component (A) including a polymeric compound (A1) having a structural unit (a1) containing an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group, a structural unit (a5) containing a base dissociable group an a structural unit (a6) represented by general formula (a6-1) (R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a halogenated alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms; each of R2 and R3 independently represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group that may contain an oxygen atom at an arbitrary position, or R2 and R3 are bonded together to form an alkylene group; and W represents a cyclic alkylene group that may include an oxygen atom at an arbitrary position).

Abstract: A positive resist composition including a base component (A) which exhibits increased solubility in an alkali developing solution under action of acid and an acid-generator component (B) which generates acid upon exposure, the base component (A) including a polymeric compound (A1) containing a structural unit (a0) represented by general formula (a0-1) shown below and a structural unit (a1) derived from an acrylate ester containing an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group.

Abstract: A resist composition for immersion exposure including a base component (A) which exhibits changed solubility in an alkali developing solution under action of acid, an acid-generator component (B) which generates acid upon irradiation, and a fluorine-containing compound (C) having a group represented by general formula (c) shown below and containing at least one fluorine atom: wherein Q represents a group in which one hydrogen atom has been removed from a monovalent hydrophilic group; and R1 represents a hydrocarbon group of 2 or more carbon atoms which may have a fluorine atom.

Abstract: Problem: To provide a cleaning liquid for lithography and a cleaning method using it for photoexposure devices. In a process of liquid immersion lithography, the cleaning liquid may efficiently clean the photoexposure device site (especially optical lens member) contaminated with the component released from photoresist and remove the contaminant, and in addition, the waste treatment for the cleaning liquid is easy, the efficiency in substitution with the cleaning liquid for the medium for liquid immersion lithography is high, and the cleaning liquid does not detract from the throughput in semiconductor production.

Abstract: Problem: To provide a cleaning liquid and a cleaning method having excellent leaning capability. In a process of liquid immersion lithography, they can preventing the damage to be caused by the component released from the photoresist to photoexposure devices; the waste treatment is easy; the efficiency in substitution with the cleaning liquid for the medium for liquid immersion lithography is high, and the production cost is reduced not detracting from the throughput in semiconductor production. Means for Solution: A cleaning liquid to be used for cleaning a photoexposure device in a process of liquid immersion lithography, which comprises at least 5% by mass of a nonionic surfactant containing at least one group selected from an ethyleneoxy group, a propyleneoxy group and a polyglycerin group, and a balance of water; and a cleaning method using it.

Abstract: A positive resist composition including a base component (A) which exhibits increased solubility in an alkali developing solution under the action of acid, and an acid-generator component (B) which generates acid upon exposure, the base component (A) including a polymeric compound (A1) containing a structural unit (a0) having an aromatic group, a structural unit (a5) represented by general formula (a5-1) shown below, and a structural unit (a1) containing an acid-dissociable, dissolution-inhibiting group. In the formula (a5-1), R1 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a halogenated alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms, R2 represents a divalent linking group, and R3 represents a cyclic group containing —SO2— within the ring skeleton thereof.

Abstract: A polymeric compound (A1) includes a structural unit (a0-1) represented by general formula (a0-1), a structural unit (a0-2) represented by general formula (a0-2), and a structural unit (a1-0-1) represented by general formula (a1-0-1), wherein relative to the combined total of all the structural units, the proportion of the structural unit (a0-1) is from 10 to 40 mol %, the proportion of the structural unit (a0-2) is from 5 to 20 mol %, and the proportion of the structural unit (a1-0-1) is from 10 to 55 mol %. [In the formulas, each of R1 and R independently represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms, or a halogenated alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms, R2, A and B each represents a divalent linking group, R3 represents a cyclic group containing —SO2— within the ring skeleton thereof, and R4 and X1 each represents an acid-dissociable, dissolution-inhibiting group.

Abstract: A positive resist composition including a base component (A) which exhibits changed solubility in an alkali developing solution under the action of acid and an acid-generator component (B) which generates acid upon exposure dissolved in an organic solvent (S), the base component (A) containing a polymeric compound (A1) including a structural unit (a0) derived from an acrylate ester having a cyclic group containing a sulfonyl group on the side chain thereof, a structural unit (a1) derived from an acrylate ester containing an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group and a structural unit (a5) represented by general formula (a5-1) (Y1 represents an aliphatic hydrocarbon group; Z represents a monovalent organic group; a represents an integer of 1 to 3, and b represents an integer of 0 to 2, provided that a+b=1 to 3).

Abstract: A positive resist composition including a base component (A) which exhibits increased solubility in an alkali developing solution under action of acid and an acid-generator component (B) which generates acid upon exposure, the base component (A) including a polymeric compound (A1) containing a structural unit (a0) represented by general formula (a0-1), a structural unit (a1) derived from an acrylate ester containing an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group, and a structural unit (a3) derived from an acrylate ester containing a hydroxy group-containing aliphatic hydrocarbon group represented by general formula (a3-1), and the amount of the structural unit (a3) based on the combined total of all structural units constituting the polymeric compound (A1) being in the range of 1 to 30 mol %.

Abstract: A resist composition including a base component (A) which exhibits changed solubility in an alkali developing solution under action of an acid, and an acid generator component (B), wherein the base component (A) includes a polymeric compound (A0) containing a structural unit (a0) represented by the general formula (a0-1) shown below: (wherein, R1 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or a halogenated alkyl group; R2 represents a bivalent linking group containing at least one kind of polar groups selected from the group consisting of —O—, —C(?O)—, —C(?O)—O—, a carbonate linkage (—O—C(?O)—O—), —S—, —S(?O)2—, —S(?O)2—O—, —NH—, —NR04— (wherein, R04 represents an alkyl group or an acyl group), and —NH—C(?O)—; and R3 represents a cyclic group containing a sulfonyl group within the ring skeleton).

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel part having a photoelectric conversion part photoelectrically converting incident light to obtain signal charge; and a peripheral circuit part formed on a periphery of the pixel part on a semiconductor substrate. The pixel part having a vertical transistor that reads out the signal charge from the photoelectric conversion part and a planar transistor that processes the signal charge read out by the vertical transistor. The vertical transistor has a groove part formed on the semiconductor substrate; a gate insulator film formed on an inner surface of the groove part; a conducting layer formed on a surface of the gate insulator film on the semiconductor substrate within and around the groove part; a filling layer filling an interior of the groove part via the gate insulator film and the conducting layer; and an electrode layer connected to the conducting layer on the filling layer.

Abstract: A positive resist composition including: a base component (A) which includes a polymeric compound (A1) containing a structural unit (a0) represented by the general formula (a0-1) and a structural unit (a1) derived from an acrylate ester having an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group; and an acid generator component (B) which includes an acid generator (B1) containing an anion moiety represented by the general formula (I): (in the formula (a0-1), R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a halogenated lower alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms; R2 represents a bivalent linking group; and R3 represents a cyclic group containing —SO2— within the ring skeleton. In the formula (I), X represents a cyclic group of 3 to 30 carbon atoms, Q1 represents a bivalent linking group containing an oxygen atom; Y1 represents an alkylene group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a fluorinated alkylene group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms).

Abstract: A positive resist composition including a base component (A) which exhibits increased solubility in an alkali developing solution under action of acid and an acid-generator component (B) which generates acid upon exposure, the base component (A) including a polymeric compound (A1?) containing an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group within the structure thereof and including a structural unit (a0) represented by general formula (a0-1) (R2 represents a divalent linking group, and A? represents an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, or an alkylene group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms which may contain an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom) and a structural unit (a2) derived from an acrylate ester containing a lactone-containing cyclic group; or a polymeric compound (Al) including the structural unit (a0) and a structural unit (al) derived from an acrylate ester containing an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group.

Abstract: A positive resist composition including a base component (A) which exhibits increased solubility in an alkali developing solution under action of acid and an acid-generator component (B) which generates acid upon exposure, the base component (A) including a polymeric compound (A1) containing a structural unit (a0) represented by general formula (a0-1) (R2 represents a divalent linking group, and R3 represents a cyclic group containing —SO2— within the ring skeleton thereof) and a structural unit (a1) derived from an acrylate ester containing an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group.

Abstract: A positive resist composition including a base component (A) which exhibits increased solubility in an alkali developing solution under action of acid and an acid-generator component (B) which generates acid upon exposure, the resin component (A) including at least one structural unit (a0) selected from the group consisting of a structural unit represented by general formula (a0-1) [R2 represents a divalent linking group, and R3 represents a cyclic group containing —SO2— within the ring skeleton thereof] and a structural unit (a2) derived from an acrylate ester containing a lactone-containing cyclic group, and the polymeric compound (A1) containing an acid dissociable, dissolution inhibiting group within the structure thereof.

Abstract: A semiconductor device has an insulated gate transistor provided with a semiconductor substrate and a gate electrode arranged on the semiconductor substrate via a gate insulating film. The gate electrode includes an electrically-conductive buffer film for preventing any damage, which would occur if a main gate electrode portion were formed directly over the gate insulating film, and the main gate electrode portion formed over the buffer film. A fabrication process for the semiconductor device is also disclosed.