Abstract: A method for manufacturing a photomask is provided. The method includes: receiving a substrate having a hard mask disposed thereover; forming a patterned photoresist over the hard mask; patterning the hard mask using the patterned photoresist as a mask; and removing the patterned photoresist. The removing of the patterned photoresist includes: oxidizing organic materials over the substrate; applying an alkaline solution onto the patterned photoresist; and removing the patterned photoresist by mechanical impact. A method for cleaning a substrate and a photomask are also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus may include a superstrate. The superstrate may have a body with a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a first diameter. The superstrate may also include a mesa on the first side of the body. The mesa may have a second diameter. The center point of the body can be different from the center point of the mesa.

Abstract: An apparatus and method configured to brake and/or dampen an imprint head.

Abstract: A negative resist composition comprising an onium salt having formula (A) and a base polymer is provided. The resist composition exhibits a high resolution during pattern formation and forms a pattern with minimal LER.

Abstract: A novel onium salt and a resist composition comprising the same as a PAG are provided. When processed by photolithography using KrF or ArF excimer laser, EB or EUV, the resist composition is reduced in acid diffusion and improved in exposure latitude, MEF, and LWR.

Abstract: A composition comprising (A) a polymer comprising recurring units (a1) having a carboxyl group protected with an acid labile group and recurring units (a2) having a cyclic ester, cyclic carbonate or cyclic sulfonate structure, (B) a thermal acid generator, and (C) an organic solvent is suited to form a protective film between a substrate and a resist film. Even when a metal-containing resist film is used, the protective film is effective for preventing the substrate from metal contamination.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for lithography patterning in accordance with some embodiments. The method includes forming a photoresist layer over a substrate. The photoresist layer includes at least an acid labile group (ALG) and a thermo-base generator (TBG). The method further includes exposing a portion of the photoresist layer to a radiation and performing a baking process after the exposing of the portion of the photoresist layer. The TBG releases a base during the performing of the baking process, resulting in a chemical reaction between the ALG and the base. The method further includes removing an unexposed portion of the photoresist layer, resulting in a patterned photoresist layer.

Abstract: Shrinkage and mass losses are reduced in photoresist exposure and post exposure baking by utilizing a small group which will decompose. Alternatively a bulky group which will not decompose or a combination of the small group which will decompose along with the bulky group which will not decompose can be utilized. Additionally, polar functional groups may be utilized in order to reduce the diffusion of reactants through the photoresist.

Abstract: A monomer represented by Chemical Formula (1): wherein, X, Y, and Z are the same as described in the specification, and the polymer including repeat units derived from the monomer.

Abstract: A method of generating a layout pattern includes disposing a photoresist layer of a resist material on a substrate and disposing a top layer over of the photoresist layer. The top layer is transparent for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation and the top layer is opaque for deep ultraviolet (DUV) radiation. The method further includes irradiating the photoresist layer with radiation generated from an EUV radiation source. The radiation passes through the top layer to expose the photoresist layer.

Abstract: A photoresist apparatus and a method are provided. The photoresist apparatus includes a pre-baking apparatus. The pre-baking apparatus includes: a hot-plate, a first cover over the hot-plate, a second cover over the first cover, a first heating element extending along a topmost surface of the first cover, and a second heating element extending along a topmost surface of the second cover.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for directly curing photopolymer printing plates, such as with UV radiation. Printing plates are cured directly by radiation, such as emitted from a high power UV laser beam. No LAMS layer or film bearing the image information is required on top of the polymer plate. The laser beam may be split into several individually-modulated beams by means of an Acousto Optical Deflector. Each individual beam is capable of curing pixels of the image that are to be transferred to the printing plate. Support shoulders for the printing details, formed by the pixels are determined by the caustic of the UV beam propagation.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an apparatus for dispensing liquid material, including a dispensing arm, a wafer holder against the dispensing arm, a first nozzle on the dispensing arm, a first distance laterally spacing the first nozzle and a center of the wafer holder, and a first height vertically spacing the first nozzle and a surface of the wafer holder, and a second nozzle on the dispensing arm, a second distance laterally spacing the second nozzle and the center of the wafer holder, and a second height vertically spacing the second nozzle and the surface of the wafer holder, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance, and the first height is greater than the second height.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for lithography patterning in accordance with some embodiments. The method includes forming a photoresist layer over a substrate; performing an infiltration process to introduce a metallic compound into the photoresist to enhance a sensitivity of the photoresist layer to an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation; performing an exposing process to the photoresist layer using the EUV radiation; and performing a developing process to the photoresist layer to form a patterned resist layer.

Abstract: A method for removing a resist layer is provided. A resist layer is formed with a material comprising a metal oxide core with organic ligands. A chlorine-containing compound or a methyl group-containing compound is globally applied onto the resist layer to allow the chlorine-containing compound or the methyl group-containing compound to perform a ligand exchange process with the resist layer so as to remove the resist layer through sublimation.

Abstract: A patterned photo resist layer (for example an EUV photo resist layer), which may exhibit line width roughness (LWR) and line edge roughness (LER) or scum is treated with a plasma treatment before subsequent etching processes. The plasma treatment reduces LWR, LER, and/or photo resist scum. In one exemplary embodiment, the plasma treatment may include a plasma formed using a gas having a boron and halogen compound. In one embodiment, the gas compound may be a boron and chlorine compound, for example boron trichloride (BCl3) gas. In another embodiment, the gas compound may be a boron and fluorine compound, for example BxFy gases. The plasma treatment process may modify the photoresist surface to improve LWR, LER, and scum effects by removing roughness from the photo resist surface and removing photo resist residues which may case scumming.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and a system for generating photomask patterns. The system obtains a design layout image, and generates a hotspot image corresponding to the design layout image based on a hotspot detection model. The system generates two photomask patterns based on the hotspot image. The at least two photomask patterns are transferred onto a semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: Metrology targets, target design methods and menology measurement methods are provided, which estimate the effects of asymmetric aberrations, independently or in conjunction with metrology overlay estimations. Targets comprise one or more pairs of segmented periodic structures having a same coarse pitch, a same 1:1 line to space ratio and segmented into fine elements at a same fine pitch, wherein the segmented periodic structures differ from each other in that one thereof lacks at least one of its corresponding fine elements and/or in that one thereof comprises two groups of the fine elements which are separated from each other by a multiple of the fine pitch. The missing element(s) and/or central gap enable deriving the estimation of aberration effects from measurements of the corresponding segmented periodic structures. The fine pitches may be selected to correspond to the device fine pitches in the corresponding layer.

Abstract: A method for operating a semiconductor apparatus includes generating a plurality of target droplets, deforming the target droplets into a plurality of target plumes respectively, changing an orientation of at least one of the target plumes, and generating a plurality of EUV radiations from the target plumes respectively. At least one of the EUV radiations irradiates an area on the light collector different from other EUV radiations in response to the orientation of the at least one of the target plumes.

Abstract: In an extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus, the film thickness of debris adhering to a surface of a component can be measured easily without need of large-scale removal of the component disposed in the chamber. The extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus includes a chamber in which a droplet made of a target material is irradiated with a laser beam and extreme ultraviolet light is generated, an EUV light collector mirror that is an optical element disposed in the chamber, and a measurement device movable along a surface of the EUV light collector mirror and configured to measure the film thickness of the target material adhering to the surface.

Abstract: A method and a device for improving exposure accuracy are provided. After an exposure area is defined on a substrate, a plurality of exposure points from the exposure area are acquired to obtain a set of the exposure points, and then a plurality of exposure offset values corresponding to the exposure points in the set of the exposure points are detected respectively, to obtain a set of the exposure offset values. Then, based on the set of the exposure offset values, the exposure points corresponding to each of the exposure offset values are corrected.

Abstract: A method of generating a layout pattern includes determining a first energy density indirectly exposed to a first feature of one or more features of a layout pattern on an energy-sensitive material when the one or more features of the layout pattern on the energy-sensitive material are directly exposed by a charged particle beam. The method also includes adjusting a second energy density exposed the first feature when the first feature is directly exposed by the charged particle beam. A total energy density of the first feature that comprises a sum of the first energy density from the indirect exposure and the second energy density from the direct exposure is maintained at about a threshold energy level to fully expose the first feature in the energy-sensitive material.

Abstract: Techniques for determining a value of a parameter of interest of a patterning process are described. One such technique involves obtaining a plurality of calibration data units from one or more targets in a metrology process. Each calibration data unit of at least two of the calibration data units represents detected radiation obtained using different respective polarization settings in the metrology process, each polarization setting defining a polarization property of incident radiation of the metrology process and of detected radiation of the metrology process. The calibration data units are used to obtain calibration information about the metrology process. A measurement data unit representing detected radiation scattered from a further target is obtained, the further target having a structure formed using the patterning process on the substrate or on a further substrate. A value of the parameter of interest is determined using the measurement data unit and the obtained calibration information.

Abstract: A method includes reducing refractive index of an environment at or adjacent an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask to below 1.0. The EUV mask is in an EUV lithography system that forms a projection beam of EUV radiation using EUV radiation emitted from a radiation source. The method further includes exposing the EUV mask to the projection beam of EUV radiation.

Abstract: A method of operating an illuminator and apparatus thereof are proposed. A method includes: directing a radiation beam to the illuminator comprising slit fingers; sensing a temperature value of each of the slit fingers; determining a shifting value of the respective slit finger based on the temperature value; causing the respective slit finger to move according to the shifting value to form a light slit from the radiation beam; and exposing a workpiece using the light slit.

Abstract: A method includes the following operations. A reference image of a mask having a plurality of mapping marks is acquired. A lithography exposing process is performed by a scanner with the mask to a photoresist layer which is formed on a substrate. Performing the lithography exposing process includes mapping a real-time image of the mask with the reference image of the mask.

Abstract: A system comprises a topography measurement system configured to determine a respective height for each of a plurality of locations on a substrate; and a processor configured to: determine a height map for the substrate based on the determined heights for the plurality of locations; and determine at least one alignment parameter for the substrate by comparing the height map and a reference height map, wherein the reference height map comprises or represents heights for a plurality of locations on a reference substrate portion.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor includes, in sequence, a support, an undercoat layer, a charge generation layer containing a charge generation material and a first binder resin, and a charge transport layer containing a charge transport material and a second binder resin. The charge generation material in the charge generation layer is chlorogallium phthalocyanine having diffraction peaks at Bragg angles (2?±0.2°) of 7.4°, 16.6°, 25.5°, and 28.3° in an X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by using Cu K-? radiation. The undercoat layer contains strontium titanate particles and a third binder resin.

Abstract: Provided are an electrophotographic photosensitive member excellent in suppression of the occurrence of a photomemory, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus each including the electrophotographic photosensitive member. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes in this order: an electroconductive support; an undercoat layer; and a photosensitive layer, wherein the undercoat layer contains strontium titanate particles and a binder resin, and the photosensitive layer contains a butanediol adduct of titanyl phthalocyanine.

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member that can achieve both of abrasion resistance and the suppression of a ghost. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes: a support; an undercoat layer; a charge-generating layer; and a charge-transporting layer, the undercoat layer, the charge-generating layer, and the charge-transporting layer being arranged in the stated order on the support, wherein the charge-transporting layer includes a charge-transporting substance, and a polymer containing a structure represented by the following general formula (1) and a structure represented by the following general formula (2), wherein the charge-generating layer includes a phthalocyanine crystal and a binder resin, and wherein the undercoat layer includes strontium titanate particles and a binder resin.

Abstract: The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes an undercoat layer and a surface layer on or above a support in this order, in which the undercoat layer contains metal oxide particles and a specific binder resin, the surface layer contains a charge transporting substance, fluororesin particles, and a specific binder resin, an arithmetic average roughness Ra of a surface of the undercoat layer is 0.15 ?m or less, a refractive index (a) of the metal oxide particles and a refractive index (b) of the binder resin contained in the undercoat layer satisfy a specific relationship, and a refractive index (c) of the binder resin contained in the surface layer and a refractive index (d) of the fluororesin particles satisfy a specific relationship.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrophotographic photosensitive member that can suppress a black spot and an exposure memory. The electrophotographic photosensitive member has a support, an undercoat layer and a photosensitive layer having a mono-layer structure in this order, wherein the undercoat layer contains a binder resin and strontium titanate particles; and the photosensitive layer having a mono-layer structure contains a binder resin, a charge generation material, a hole transport material and an electron transport material.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor includes, in sequence, a support member; an undercoating layer containing a binder resin and an inorganic particle; and a photosensitive layer, wherein the binder resin of the undercoating layer is an alkyd-melamine resin, and the inorganic particle of the undercoating layer contains a strontium titanate particle.

Abstract: The toner has a toner particle that contains a binder resin, wherein the binder resin contains a styrene-acrylic resin that has a structure derived from a crosslinking agent, the binder resin includes tetrahydrofuran-insoluble matter in an amount of from 5 mass % to 60 mass % of the binder resin, and the crosslinking agent contains a polymeric compound provided by an addition reaction at least between a particular multifunctional (meth)acrylate compound and a particular polyvalent mercapto compound.

Abstract: The toner contains a toner particle that has a binder resin, wherein an amount of a tetrahydrofuran THF-insoluble matter A collected when a THF dispersion of the binder resin is passed through a first filter having an average pore diameter of 8 ?m, is not more than 10 mass % of the binder resin, and an amount of a THF-insoluble matter B collected when the THF dispersion that has been passed through the first filter is passed through a second filter having an average pore diameter of 0.8 ?m, is from 5 mass % to 50 mass % of the binder resin.

Abstract: Provided are toners and combinations of toners that demonstrate excellent color and are Ames test negative in both Salmonellatyphimurium strains TA98 and TAIOO.

Abstract: A developer comprises: at least one carrier; and, in an amount of 10 wt-% or less, a coating material (237), in particular for generating a coating layer by non-impact printing, the coating material being provided in the form of particles and comprising: a curable resin preferably an at least partially thermal curable resin and even more in particular curable by a crosslinking agent able to react with functional groups of the resin, the resin comprising in particular an amorphous resin portion; wherein an average diameter of the particles is in a range between 1 ?m and 25 ?m; and wherein the particles have an average sphericity larger than 0.7, in particular larger than 0.8, in particular a sphericity larger than 0.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a plurality of process units, a transferring member, a sensor, and a processor. The plurality of process units include a photosensitive drum, an electric charger which charges the photosensitive drum, an exposing device which includes a plurality of light emitting element rows in a sub-scanning direction configured by the plurality of light emitting elements, and irradiates the photosensitive drum to form a latent image, and a developing device which attaches toner to the latent image to form a toner image. The transferring member receives the toner image from the photosensitive drum. The sensor detects the toner image transferred to the transferring member. The processor calculates a skew deviation amount based on the detection result of the sensor, and controls turning on and off the light emitting element based on a central tendency and the skew deviation amount.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes: light source substrates on which light sources aligned in a first direction are aligned in rows and formed on a formation surface; an optical element that causes light emitted from the light sources to form an image on a surface of an image carrier that has a cylindrical shape and rotates with a rotational symmetry axis parallel to the first direction; a microlens array in which the optical elements aligned in the first direction are aligned in rows; and a holder that holds the light source substrates, wherein in each of the light source substrates, at least two of the light sources are formed at different positions in a second direction intersecting with the first direction and being parallel to the formation surface, and the holder holds the light source substrates to cause the formation surfaces of the light source substrates to cross each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a light-emitting element that includes light-emitting point groups; and an optical system that includes imaging systems focusing light from light-emitting points of the light-emitting point groups, wherein the light-emitting point groups and the imaging systems are combined into sets, the light-receiving surface has a cylindrical shape, each imaging system has a negative imaging magnification, light-emitting point groups are arranged at different positions, the imaging systems adjacent to each other have optical axes non-parallel to each other, each optical axis has an angle being not zero relative to the central normal, and a plane including the optical axis and the central normal is perpendicular to a rotational symmetry axis, and an angle between the optical axis and a line normal to the light-receiving surface is smaller than an angle between the central normal and a line normal to the light-receiving surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a photosensitive drum assembly, an exposure head, and a bearing, is provided. The photosensitive drum assembly includes a photosensitive drum and a flange disposed at an end of the photosensitive drum in an axial direction of an axis of the photosensitive drum. The flange contacts an inner surface of the photosensitive drum. The exposure head includes a plurality of light emitters aligned along the axial direction of the photosensitive drum, a lens array focusing light from the light emitters on the photosensitive drum, and a head frame to support the light emitters and the lens array. The bearing has a first contact face to contact the exposure head to define a distance between the lens array and the photosensitive drum along a direction of an optical axis of the light.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus employing an electrophotographic image forming method includes a casing having a front wall to which an opening is formed and a rear wall facing the front wall, a photosensitive drum located close to the front wall, a support member configured to support the photosensitive drum. The support member is slidably movable between an accommodated position a drawn position at which the photosensitive drum is drawn out of the casing through the opening. The image forming apparatus further includes a sheet tray, a feeding roller configured to feed the plurality of sheets supported by the sheet tray, a first conveying guide arranged between the support member and the sheet tray to face the support member, and a second conveying guide formed to the support member at a position facing the first conveying guide to guide the sheet inserted through the opening.

Abstract: Downtime relating to formation and detection of a detection image is reduced. An image forming apparatus includes a controller configured to calculate a first conversion unit to convert a gradation of input image data so that density output for the input image data becomes a first density output characteristic based on a first detection result of the detection image detected by a density sensor in a first mode. The controller generates a second conversion unit to convert the gradation of the input image data so that the density output for the input image data becomes a second density output characteristic in a second mode based on the detection result in the first mode and correction information, and further updates the correction information based on a second detection result of the detection image detected by the density sensor in the second mode and the first detection result.

Abstract: A developing apparatus, includes: a developer bearing member configured to bear a developer; and a regulating member that is disposed in contact with a surface of the developer bearing member, and configured to regulate the developer borne on the developer bearing member. On the surface of the developer bearing member, a conductive portion having a first surface roughness and first electric resistance, and a dielectric portion having a second surface roughness, which is smaller than the first surface roughness, and second electric resistance, which is larger than the first electric resistance, are disposed. In a case where the developer borne on the developer bearing member is charged by friction with the regulating member, a charging polarity of the dielectric portion is the same polarity as a charging polarity of the developer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of cartridges containing toners, each cartridge including a storage element that stores a type of thermal characteristic information of the toner contained therein, and a reading portion configured to read the type of thermal characteristic information. A fixing portion thermally fixes a toner image, formed by a plurality of toners of different colors contained in the cartridges, respectively, onto a recording material, and a control portion controls the fixing portion by switching a thermal fixing condition in accordance with a combination of the types of the thermal characteristic information read by the reading portion, the thermal fixing condition being a condition that prioritizes the performance of fixing, to a recording material, a toner, of the toners that form the toner image, that is transferred first to the recording material, from among the plurality of toners of different colors.

Abstract: A developer container includes a container main body that stores a developer, has an outlet for discharging the developer to a downstream side in a conveyance direction in which the developer is conveyed, has a sidewall having a circular cross-section perpendicular to the conveyance direction, and has a first ridge that continuously or intermittently continues to the downstream side in a helical form in a certain winding direction and is formed on an inner surface of the sidewall, and a limiter disposed at a downstream end that is an end on the downstream side of the container main body, to secure a space between the limiter and the sidewall, the space extending to an upstream side of the outlet in the conveyance direction and extending from the upstream side to the outlet.

Abstract: A toner container is detachably attachable to a developing device. The developing device includes an inlet to be poured with a toner, an inlet shutter to move between a closed position, at which the inlet is closed, and an open position, at which the inlet is open, a biasing mechanism to bias the inlet shutter toward the closed position, an engaged structure provided in the inlet shutter, an engaging structure to engage with the engaged structure and to retain the inlet shutter at the open position against a biasing force of the biasing mechanism, and an engagement releasing structure provided in the inlet shutter and to release an engaging state between the engaged structure and the engaging structure. The toner container includes a contacting surface to contact with the engagement releasing structure and to make the engagement releasing structure release the engaging state.

Abstract: A speed reduction device includes an input shaft, a fixed internal gear, an output internal gear and a planetary two-stage gear. The fixed internal gear is fixed on the input shaft. The output internal gear is rotatably disposed on the same axis as the fixed internal gear and has a different number of teeth from the fixed internal gear. The planetary two-stage gear is supported by the input shaft so as to be rotatable around an eccentric shaft. The planetary two-stage gear has a large diameter gear and a small diameter gear which are respectively meshed with the fixed internal gear and the output internal gear. A difference in number of teeth between the large diameter gear and the small diameter gear is equal to a difference in number of teeth between the fixed internal gear and the output internal gear.

Abstract: A developing device includes a developer tank holding a developer, and a transporting member stirring and transporting the developer. The transporting member includes first and second screws each provided with a rotary shaft having a spiral blade disposed on an outer circumferential face of the rotary shaft. The first and second screws are disposed such that the rotary shafts are parallel to each other. The developer tank includes a first compartment accommodating the first screw, a second compartment accommodating the second screw, a partition separating the first compartment and the second compartment, and a circulation zone. The circulation zone includes an opening in the partition that allows the developer to flow through. The first and second compartments have bottom faces at different heights. A protrusion is formed on a bottom face in the circulation zone.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a latent image forming portion configured to form a latent image on an image bearing member; a developing device including a container configured to store toner, and a developing member configured to supply the toner to the latent image formed on the image bearing member to form a toner image; an environment sensor configured to detect environmental information related to an environment in which the developing device is placed; and a controller configured to control switching between a first mode and a second mode, in which a number of prints per unit time is smaller than in the first mode, wherein the controller is configured to perform switching from the first mode to the second mode based on an update value obtained by adding or subtracting over time an index value weighted in accordance with the environmental information detected by the environment sensor.