Abstract: The present invention provides a method for forming by plasma irradiation a resist underlayer film with excellent dry etching resistance and film thickness uniformity, the method including: (i) applying a composition containing (A) a polymer and (B) an organic solvent, and performing heat treatment; and (ii) forming a resist underlayer film by plasma irradiation, where the polymer (A) contains a constitutional unit of formula (1) and has a weight-average molecular weight of 2,500 to 20,000: where Ar1 and Ar2 represent a benzene ring or naphthalene ring, X represents a structure of formula (1A), Y represents an organic group, “k” represents 0 or 1, where “n1” represents 0 or 1, “n2” represents 1 or 2, R2 represents a hydrogen atom, an organic group, or a structure of formula (1B), R3 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, or a group of formula (1C), “n3” represents 0 to 2, where RA represents an organic group, RB represents a hydrogen atom or an organic group, and where R4 r

Abstract: The present invention is a method for forming a resist underlayer film on a substrate, the method including the steps of: (i) forming an underlayer-film-precursor film by coating a substrate with a composition for forming a resist underlayer film, containing (A) a polymer and an organic solvent, to obtain a coating film and subjecting the coating film to heat treatment at a temperature of 100° C. or higher and 800° C. or lower for 10 seconds to 7,200 seconds to cure the coating film; and (ii) forming a resist underlayer film by curing the underlayer-film-precursor film by plasma irradiation, where the polymer (A) is an aromatic ring-containing resin containing no hydroxy groups or organic groups represented by the following general formulae (1) in a repeating unit contained in the polymer, where “p” represents 0 or 1, and “*” represents an attachment point.

Abstract: The present invention is a composition for forming a resist underlayer film, containing: (A) a polymer having a structure represented by the following general formula (1) as a repeating unit; and (B) an organic solvent, where the polymer (A) has a molecular weight of 300 to 3,000, and the polymer (A) contains neither a repeating unit containing a hydroxy group as a substituent nor a repeating unit containing a heteroaromatic ring, and where Ar represents an unsubstituted divalent aromatic group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms. This can provide a composition for forming a resist underlayer film with which it is possible to form a resist underlayer film that exhibits much better dry etching resistance than those of conventional organic underlayer film materials.

Abstract: The present invention is a composition for forming a metal oxide film, including: (A) a metal oxide nanoparticle; (B) a flowability accelerator containing a resin having a structural unit represented by the following general formula (1); (C) a dispersion stabilizer having two or more benzene rings or having one benzene ring and a structure represented by the following general formula (C-1), and the dispersion stabilizer being composed of an aromatic group-containing compound having a molecular weight of 500 or less; and (D) an organic solvent, wherein the flowability accelerator (B) has a content of 9 mass % or more in an entirety of the composition, a ratio Mw/Mn of 2.50?Mw/Mn?9.00, and the flowability accelerator (B) having no cardo structure.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a wafer edge protection film having dry etching resistance superior to those of the previously-known wafer edge protection films, as well as excellent film forming property even at wafer edge portions, which are difficult to coat: a wafer edge protection film forming method for forming a protection film on a wafer edge of a substrate, including the steps of (i) coating a peripheral edge of the substrate with a composition for forming a protection film including an aromatic ring-containing resin (A) having an organic group represented by the following general formula (1), and a solvent; and (ii) curing the applied composition for forming a protection film by heat or optical irradiation to form the protection film on the peripheral edge of the substrate. wherein RA is a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and * represents a bonding site.

Abstract: A composition for forming an organic film contains a polymer having a partial structure shown by the following general formula (1A) as a repeating unit, and an organic solvent, where AR1 and AR2 each represent a benzene ring or a naphthalene ring which optionally have a substituent; each R represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms and an unsaturated bond; R? represents a single bond or W1; and W1 represents a divalent organic group having 6 to 80 carbon atoms and one or more aromatic rings. This invention provides: a composition for forming an organic film, the composition containing a polymer having an indenofluorene structure with high carbon content and thermosetting property as to enable high etching resistance and excellent twisting resistance; a patterning process using this composition; and a polymer for providing such a composition for forming an organic film.

Abstract: The present invention is a composition for forming a silicon-containing metal hard mask, including: (A) a metal oxide nanoparticle; (B) a thermally crosslinkable polysiloxane (Sx) having no aromatic-ring-containing organic group; and (C) a solvent. This provides a composition for forming a silicon-containing metal hard mask that has a high effect of inhibiting collapse of an ultrafine pattern in a multilayer resist method, that can form a resist pattern having excellent LWR, that has more excellent dry etching resistance and wet removability than a conventional silicon-containing underlayer film material, and that has more excellent filling ability than a conventional metal hard mask material.

Abstract: The present invention is a composition for forming a metal oxide film, comprising (A) a metal oxide nanoparticle, (B) a flowability accelerator, which is a compound and/or a polymer having a molecular weight of 5000 or less represented by one or more selected from the following general formulae (I), (II) and (III), and (C) an organic solvent, wherein a weight ratio of the (A) metal oxide nanoparticle to the (B) flowability accelerator is 10/90 to 90/10. This makes it possible to provide a composition for forming a metal oxide film having excellent dry etching resistance relative to a previously-known organic underlayer film composition and also has high filling and planarizing properties, a patterning process using the composition, and a method for forming a metal oxide film (resist underlayer film).

Abstract: The present invention is a planarizing agent for forming an organic film, including an aromatic-group-containing compound having a molecular weight represented by a molecular formula of 200 to 500, wherein a blended composition that includes the planarizing agent and a preliminary composition containing an organic film-forming resin and a solvent, and having a complex viscosity of 1.0 Pa·s or more in a temperature range of 175° C. or higher has a temperature range in which a complex viscosity of the blended composition is less than 1.0 Pa·s in a temperature range of 175° C. or higher. This provides a planarizing agent for forming an organic film to yield a composition for forming an organic film having a high planarizing ability; a composition for forming an organic film containing this planarizing agent; a method for forming an organic film using this composition; and a patterning process.

Abstract: A resist underlayer film material contains (A) a resin having a compound shown in the following general formula (1A), and (B) an organic solvent. Mw/Mn of the compound shown in the general formula (1A) is 1.00?Mw/Mn?1.25. This provides: a resist underlayer film material having all of favorable dry etching resistance, heat resistance to 500° C. or higher, and high filling and planarizing properties; and methods for forming a resist underlayer film and patterning processes which use the material.

Abstract: A material for forming a filling film for inhibiting semiconductor substrate pattern collapse contains: (A) a polymer having a structural unit shown by the following general formula (1); (B) a residual-solvent removal promoter containing a compound shown by the following general formula (2); and (C) an organic solvent. A ratio Mw/Mn of a weight-average molecular weight Mw and a number-average molecular weight Mn of the polymer (A) in terms of polystyrene by a gel permeation chromatography method is 2.50?Mw/Mn?9.00. The residual-solvent removal promoter (B) is contained in an amount of 0.1 to 40 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the polymer (A). The material for forming a filling film for inhibiting semiconductor substrate pattern collapse contains no acid generator.

Abstract: The present invention provides a resist underlayer film material used in a multilayer resist method, the material containing: (A) a resin having a structural unit shown by the following general formula (1); and (B) an organic solvent. The resin content is 20 mass % or more. This provides: a resist underlayer film material having excellent filling property and adhesiveness, and favorable planarizing property; and a patterning process and a method for forming a resist underlayer film which use the material.

Abstract: A thermosetting silicon-containing compound contains one or more of structural units shown by the following general formulae (Sx-1), (Sx-2), and (Sx-3): where R1 represents a monovalent organic group containing both a phenyl group optionally having a substituent and a non-aromatic ring having 3 to 10 carbon atoms; and R2, R3 each represent the R1 or a monovalent organic group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms. Thus, the present invention provides a thermosetting silicon-containing compound usable in a silicon-containing resist underlayer film material capable of achieving contradictory properties of having both alkaline developer resistance and improved solubility in an alkaline stripping liquid containing no hydrogen peroxide.

Abstract: A composition for forming an organic film contains a polymer having a partial structure shown by the following general formula (1A) as a repeating unit, and an organic solvent, where AR1 and AR2 each represent a benzene ring or a naphthalene ring which optionally have a substituent; each R represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms and an unsaturated bond; R? represents a single bond or W1; and W1 represents a divalent organic group having 6 to 80 carbon atoms and one or more aromatic rings. This invention provides: a composition for forming an organic film, the composition containing a polymer having an indenofluorene structure with high carbon content and thermosetting property as to enable high etching resistance and excellent twisting resistance; a patterning process using this composition; and a polymer for providing such a composition for forming an organic film.

Abstract: A thermosetting silicon-containing compound contains one or more of structural units shown by the following general formulae (Sx-1), (Sx-2), and (Sx-3): where R1 represents a monovalent organic group containing both a phenyl group optionally having a substituent and a non-aromatic ring having 3 to 10 carbon atoms; and R2, R3 each represent the R1 or a monovalent organic group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms. Thus, the present invention provides a thermosetting silicon-containing compound usable in a silicon-containing resist underlayer film material capable of achieving contradictory properties of having both alkaline developer resistance and improved solubility in an alkaline stripping liquid containing no hydrogen peroxide.

Abstract: A patterning process includes: (1) forming on a substrate an organic underlayer film, a silicon-containing middle layer film thereon, and further an upper layer resist film thereon; (2) subjecting the upper layer resist film to exposure and development to form an upper layer resist pattern; (3) transferring the upper layer resist pattern to the silicon-containing middle layer film by dry etching, and further transferring the upper layer resist pattern to the organic underlayer film to form an organic underlayer film pattern; (4) forming an inorganic silicon film by a CVD method or an ALD method; (5) removing a portion of the inorganic silicon film by dry etching to expose an upper portion of the organic underlayer film pattern; and (6) removing the organic underlayer film pattern with a stripping liquid to form an inorganic silicon film pattern. The process can solve problems of poor product performance and yield decrease.

Abstract: The invention provides a compound for forming an organic film having a partial structure represented by the following formula (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.

Abstract: The invention provides a compound for forming an organic film having a partial structure represented by the following formula (vii-2), wherein R1 represents a linear, branched or cyclic monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and a methylene group constituting R1 may be substituted by an oxygen atom; a+b is 1, 2 or 3; c and d are each independently 0, 1 or 2; x represents 0 or 1, when x=0, then a=c=0; L7 represents a linear, branched or cyclic divalent organic group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, L8? represents the partial structure represented by the following formula (i), 0?o<1, 0<p?1 and o+p=1, wherein the ring structures Ar3 represent a substituted or unsubstituted benzene ring or naphthalene ring; R0 represents a hydrogen atom or a linear, branched or cyclic monovalent organic group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms; and L0 represents a divalent organic group.

Abstract: The invention provides an organic film composition comprises (A) a heat-decomposable polymer, (B) an organic solvent, and (C) an aromatic ring containing resin, with the weight reduction rate of (A) the heat-decomposable polymer from 30° C. to 250° C. being 40% or more by mass. There can be provided an organic film composition having not only a high dry etching resistance but also an excellent filling-up or flattening characteristics.

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.