International Business Machines Corporation

Central Glass Company, Limited

Shin-etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.

Jsr Corporation

Hoa D Truong

Ratnam Sooriyakumaran

Robert David Allen

Daniel Sanders

Phillip Joe Brock

Gregory Michael Wallraff

Gregory Breyta

Linda Karin Sundberg

Richard Anthony Dipietro

Richard Anthony DiPietro

Carl Eric Larson

Rudy J Wojtecki

Dirk Pfeiffer

Hiroshi Ito

Satoru Narizuka

Takehisa Ishimaru

Matthew Earl Colburn

David Robert Medeiros

Joy Cheng

Sally Ann Swanson

Luisa Dominica Bozano

Debra Fenzel-Alexander

Wu-Song S Huang

Dario Leonardo Goldfarb

Ho-Cheol Kim

Hsinyu Tsai

William Dinan Hinsberg

Kristin Schmidt

Shu-Jen Han

Ekmini Anuja De Silva

Qinghuang Lin

Kazuhiko Maeda

Chi-Chun Liu

Seiichiro Tachibana

Pushkara Rao Varanasi

Nelson M Felix

Indira P Seshadri

Teddie Peregrino Magbitang

Young-Hye Na

Mahmoud M Khojasteh

Kuang-Jung Chen

Masaki Fujiwara

Charles Thomas Rettner

Ankit Vora

Martin Glodde

Manabu Yasumoto

Jing Guo

Alexander M Friz

Jed Walter Pitera

Hareem Tariq Maune

Noel Arellano

Ramakrishnan Ayothi

Thomas I Wallow

Leslie E Thompson

Atsuko Ito, Legal Representative

Brian Lin

Robert Allen David

Gregory M Walraff

A self-priming resist may be formed from a first random copolymer forming a resist and a polymer brush having the general formula poly(A-r-B)-C-D, wherein A is a first polymer unit, B is a second polymer unit, wherein A and B are the same or different polymer units, C is a cleavable unit, D is a grafting group and r indicates that poly(A-r-B) is a second random copolymer formed from the first and second polymer units. The first random copolymer may be the same or different from the second random polymer. The self-priming resist can create a one-step method for forming an adhesion layer and resist by using the resist/brush blend.

Self-priming resist for generic inorganic hardmasks

A crosslinked self-assembled monolayer (SAM), comprising surface groups containing a nitrogen-heterocycle, was formed on an oxygen plasma-treated silicon oxide or hafnium oxide top surface of a substrate. The SAM is covalently bound to the underlying oxide layer. The SAM was patterned by direct write methods using ultraviolet (UV) light of wavelength 193 nm or an electron beam, forming a line-space pattern comprising non-exposed SAM features. The non-exposed SAM features non-covalently bound DNA-wrapped carbon nanotubes (DNA-CNT) deposited from aqueous solution with a selective placement efficiency of about 90%. Good alignment of carbon nanotubes to the long axis of the SAM features was also observed. The resulting patterned biopolymer features were used to prepare a CNT based field effect transistor.

Nitrogen heterocycle-containing monolayers on metal oxides for binding biopolymers

Non-ionic photo-acid generating (PAG) compounds were prepared that contain an aryl ketone group having a perfluorinated substituent alpha to the ketone carbonyl. The non-polymeric PAGs release a sulfonic acid when exposed to high energy radiation such as deep UV or extreme UV light. The photo-generated sulfonic acid has a low diffusion rate in an exposed resist layer subjected to a post-exposure bake (PEB) at 100&#xb0; C. to 150&#xb0; C., resulting in formation of good line patterns after development. At higher temperatures, the PAGs can also undergo a thermal reaction to form a sulfonic acid. The perfluorinated substituent provides improved thermal stability and hydrolytic/nucleophilic stability.

Fluorinated sulfonate esters of aryl ketones for non-ionic photo-acid generators

Non-ionic photo-acid generating (PAG) polymerizable monomers were prepared that contain a side chain sulfonate ester of an alpha-hydroxy aryl ketone. The aryl ketone group has a perfluorinated substituent alpha to the ketone carbonyl. The sulfur of the sulfonate ester is also directly linked to a fluorinated group. PAG polymers prepared from the PAG monomers release a strong sulfonic acid when exposed to high energy radiation such as deep UV or extreme UV light. The photo-generated sulfonic acid has a low diffusion rate in an exposed resist layer subjected to a post-exposure bake (PEB) at 100&#xb0; C. to 150&#xb0; C., resulting in formation of good line patterns after development.

Non-ionic aryl ketone based polymeric photo-acid generators

Non-ionic photo-acid generating (PAG) compounds were prepared that contain an aryl ketone group. The disclosed non-polymeric PAGs release a strong sulfonic acid when exposed to high energy radiation such as deep UV or extreme UV light. The photo-generated sulfonic acid has a low diffusion rate in an exposed resist layer subjected to a post-exposure bake (PEB) at 100&#xb0; C. to 150&#xb0; C., resulting in formation of good line patterns after development. At higher temperatures, the PAGs undergo a thermal reaction to form a sulfonic acid.

Non-ionic low diffusing photo-acid generators

Block copolymers (BCPs) for self-assembly applications comprise a linear fluorinated linking group L' joining a pair of adjacent blocks. A film layer comprising a BCP, which is disposed on an underlayer and in contact with an atmosphere, is capable of forming a perpendicularly oriented domain pattern when the underlayer is preferentially wetted by one domain of an otherwise identical self-assembled BCP in which all fluorines of L&#x2032; are replaced by hydrogen. The BCP can be a low-chi or high-chi BCP. In a preferred embodiment, the BCP comprises a styrene-based first block, and a second block comprises a carbonate and/or ester repeat unit formed by ring opening polymerization of a cyclic carbonate and/or cyclic ester monomer. The linking group L&#x2032; has a lower surface energy than each of the polymer blocks.

Block copolymers for directed self-assembly applications

A photoacid generating polymer (PAG polymer) comprises i) a first repeat unit of capable of reacting with a photogenerated acid to form a carboxylic acid containing repeat unit, ii) a second repeat unit of capable of forming the photogenerated acid, and iii) a third repeat unit comprising a norbornyl ester, wherein a norbornyl ring of the norbornyl ester comprises a monovalent substituent having the formula *-L'-C(CF)(OH). L&#x2032; is a divalent linking group comprising at least one carbon and the starred bond of L&#x2032; is linked to the norbornyl ring. The first repeat unit, second repeat unit, and the third repeat unit are covalently bound repeat units of the PAG polymer.

Photoacid generating polymers containing a urethane linkage for lithography

A layered structure includes a substrate; an underlayer including a reversibly crosslinked polymer and/or oligomer interconnected by ester functionalities; a silicon-containing mask overlaying the underlayer; and a photoresist overlaying the silicon-containing hardmask layer. Also described are multilayer lithographic processes and processes of forming the underlayer, which generally includes coating an underlayer composition onto a surface of the substrate at a thickness effective to provide a planar upper surface, wherein the underlayer composition includes a polymer including terminal alcohol groups, a multifunctional anhydride, and a solvent. The underlayer composition is heated to a temperature to effect a crosslinking reaction between the multifunctional anhydride and the terminal alcohol groups to form the ester functionalities, which can be selectively removed (reversibly crosslinked) using a wet etchant.

Wet strippable gap fill materials

A process and composition for negative tone development comprises providing a photoresist film that generates acidic sites. Irradiating the photoresist film patternwise provides an irradiated film having exposed and unexposed regions where the exposed regions comprise imaged sites. Baking the irradiated film at elevated temperatures produces a baked-irradiated film comprising the imaged sites which after irradiating, baking, or both irradiating and baking comprise acidic imaged sites. Treating the baked-irradiated film with a liquid, gaseous or vaporous weakly basic compound converts the acidic imaged sites to a base treated film having chemically modified acidic imaged sites. Applying a solvent developer substantially dissolves regions of the film that have not been exposed to the radiant energy, where the solvent developer comprises a substantial non-solvent for the chemically modified acidic imaged sites. One-step simultaneous base treatment and solvent development employs a composition comprising a mix of the basic compound and solvent developer.

Resist performance for the negative tone develop organic development process

Photo-acid generating vinyl polymerizable monomers (PAG monomers) were prepared comprising sulfonate ester groups of N-hydroxide imides. The photo-acid generating portion of the PAG monomer is linked to a polymerizable portion of the monomer by an amide linking group. Photo-acid generating polymers (PAG polymers) of the PAG monomers show high sensitivity to extreme ultraviolet radiation (13.5 nm) and much less sensitivity to far ultraviolet wavelengths (193 nm, 248 nm). The PAG polymers also exhibit thermal and chemical amplification properties useful for forming high resolution positive tone or negative tone lithographic resist patterns.

Non-ionic photo-acid generating polymers for resist applications

Photoresist compositions include a blend of a phenolic polymer with a (meth)acrylate-based copolymer free of ether-containing and/or carboxylic acid-containing moieties. The (meth)acrylate copolymer includes a first monomer selected from the group consisting of an alkyl acrylate, a substituted alkyl acrylate, an alkyl (meth)acrylate, a substituted alkyl methacrylate and mixtures thereof, and a second monomer selected from the group consisting of an acrylate, a (meth)acrylate or a mixture thereof having an acid cleavable ester substituent; and a photoacid generator. Also disclosed are processes for generating a photoresist image on a substrate with the photoresist composition.

Chemically amplified photoresist composition and process for its use

Resist compositions that can be used in immersion lithography without the use of an additional topcoat are disclosed. The resist compositions comprise a photoresist polymer, at least one photoacid generator, a solvent; and a self-topcoating resist additive. A method of forming a patterned material layer on a substrate using the resist composition is also disclosed.

Self-topcoating resist for photolithography

Provided is a method for developing positive-tone chemically amplified resists with an organic developer solvent having at least one polyhydric alcohol, such as ethylene glycol and/or glycerol, alone or in combination with an additional organic solvent, such as isopropyl alcohol, and/or water. The organic solvent developed positive tone resists described herein are useful for lithography pattern forming processes; for producing semiconductor devices, such as integrated circuits (IC); and for applications where basic solvents are not suitable, such as the fabrication of chips patterned with arrays of biomolecules or deprotection applications that do not require the presence of acid moieties.

Positive tone organic solvent developed chemically amplified resist

A method of forming a layered structure comprising a domain pattern of a self-assembled material utilizes a negative-tone patterned photoresist layer comprising non-crosslinked developed photoresist. The developed photoresist is not soluble in an organic casting solvent for a material capable of self-assembly. The developed photoresist is soluble in an aqueous alkaline developer and/or a second organic solvent. A solution comprising the material capable of self-assembly and the organic casting solvent is casted on the patterned photoresist layer. Upon removal of the organic casting solvent, the material self-assembles, thereby forming the layered structure.

Methods of directed self-assembly and layered structures formed therefrom

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Hoa D Truong