Provided are methods of trimming photoresist patterns. The methods involve coating a photoresist trimming composition over a photoresist pattern, wherein the trimming composition includes a matrix polymer, a free acid having fluorine substitution and a solvent, the trimming composition being free of cross-linking agents. The coated semiconductor substrate is heated to cause a change in polarity of the resist polymer in a surface region of the photoresist pattern. The photoresist pattern is contacted with a developing solution to remove the surface region of the photoresist pattern. The methods find particular applicability in the formation of very fine lithographic features in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.

Photoresist pattern trimming methods

A resist composition which generates an acid upon exposure and exhibits changed solubility in a developing solution by the action of the acid contains a high-molecular weight compound (A1) having a constituent unit (a0) represented by a general formula (a0-1) and a constituent unit (a1-1) including a monocyclic group-containing acid decomposable group whose polarity increases by the action of an acid. In the formula (a0-1), R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, or a halogenated alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms; Ya01 represents a single bond or a divalent linking group; X01 represents a sulfur atom or an oxygen atom; and Ra01 represents an optionally substituted cyclic group, chain alkyl group, or chain alkenyl group.

Resist composition and resist pattern forming method

A solvent developing negative-tone resist composition containing a base component (A) which exhibits increased polarity and reduced solubility in an organic solvent under action of an acid and an acid generator component (B) which generates an acid upon exposure, the component (A) including a resin component (A1) containing: a structural unit (a2) derived from an acrylate ester containing a 4- to 12-membered lactone-containing cyclic group, a 3- to 7-membered ether-containing cyclic group or a 5- to 7-membered carbonate-containing cyclic group; and a structural unit (a1) derived from an acrylate ester containing an acid decomposable group which exhibited increased polarity by the action of acid, and the acid generator component (B) including an acid generator (B1) containing a compound which generates a sulfonic acid upon exposure.

Solvent developable negative resist composition, resist pattern formation method, and method for forming pattern of layer including block copolymer

A method of forming a plurality of regularly spaced lithography features, the method including providing a self-assemblable block copolymer having first and second blocks in a plurality of trenches on a substrate, each trench including opposing side-walls and a base, with the side-walls having a width therebetween, wherein a first trench has a greater width than a second trench; causing the self-assemblable block copolymer to self-assemble into an ordered layer in each trench, the layer having a first domain of the first block alternating with a second domain of the second block, wherein the first and second trenches have the same number of each respective domain; and selectively removing the first domain to form regularly spaced rows of lithography features having the second domain along each trench, wherein the pitch of the features in the first trench is greater than the pitch of the features in the second trench.

Methods for providing spaced lithography features on a substrate by self-assembly of block copolymers

A pattern is formed by coating a chemically amplified resist composition comprising a resin having a dissolution rate in an organic solvent developer that lowers under the action of acid onto a processable substrate, prebaking, exposing the resist film, PEB, developing in an organic solvent developer to form a negative pattern, coating a solution comprising Si, Ti, Zr, Hf or Al, prebaking, and dry etching to effect image reversal for converting the negative pattern into a positive pattern.

Pattern forming process

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pattern forming method useful for forming a fine pattern. SOLUTION: The pattern forming method has: the step (1) of applying a first chemically amplified positive resist composition on a support to form a first resist film, subject it to exposure, perform PEB, and perform alkali development to form a first resist pattern; the step (2) of applying a second film forming material on the support, on which the first resist pattern is formed, to form a second film, subject a region containing the position where the first resist pattern is formed to exposure, perform PEB, and perform alkali development. As the second film forming material, a material which contains organic solvent that does not dissolve the first resist layer, and of which solubility does not increase in relation to an alkali developing agent with an amount of energy equal to or smaller than that of the first chemically amplified positive resist composition is used. In the step (2), the exposure amount and PEB temperature are set so that only the first resist pattern in the exposed region is removed by the alkali development. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Kumagai Tomoya

Papers

Pattern forming method