Shin-etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Shin-estu Chemical Co., Ltd.

Youichi Ohsawa

Jun Hatakeyama

Masaki Ohashi

Takeshi Kinsho

Takeru Watanabe

Satoshi Watanabe

Katsuhiro Kobayashi

Tomohiro Kobayashi

Seiichiro Tachibana

Jun Watanabe

Kazunori Maeda

Katsuya Takemura

Koji Hasegawa

Masayoshi Sagehashi

Toshinobu Ishihara

Shigehiro Nagura

Kazuhiro Katayama

Takanobu Takeda

Tsunehiro Nishi

Keiichi Masunaga

Takeshi Nagata

Akihiro Seki

Junji Shimada

Daisuke Domon

Ryosuke Taniguchi

Toshihiko Fujii

Ryuji Koitabashi

Kazumasa Maruyama

Osamu Watanabe

Yoshio Kawai

Akinobu Tanaka

Fujio Yagihashi

Yoshihumi Takeda

Wataru Kusaki

Yoshitaka Yanagi

Eiji Fukuda

Tatsushi Kaneko

Takayuki Nagasawa

Kazumi Noda

Takeshi Sasami

Junji Tsuchiya

Takao Yoshihara

Tamotsu Watanabe

Jiro Nakamura

Katsuyuki Oikawa

Shigeo Tanaka

A sulfonium salt having a 4-fluorophenyl group is introduced as recurring units into a polymer comprising hydroxyphenyl(meth)acrylate units and acid labile group-containing (meth)acrylate units to form a polymer which is useful as a base resin in a resist composition. The resist composition has a high sensitivity, high resolution and minimized LER.

Sulfonium salt-containing polymer, resist composition, patterning process, and sulfonium salt monomer and making method

There is disclosed a polymer having a repeating unit shown by the following general formula (1). There can be, in a photolithography using a high energy beam such as an ArF excimer laser beam and an EUV as a light source, (1) a polymer that gives a resist composition having an appropriate adhesion with a substrate and being capable of forming a pattern having excellent resolution, especially an excellent rectangular pattern profile, (2) a chemically amplified resist composition containing the said polymer, and (3) a patterning process using the said chemically amplified resist composition. 

Polymer, chemically amplified resist composition, and patterning process using said chemically amplified resist composition

A chemically amplified negative resist composition is provided comprising (A) an alkali-soluble base polymer, (B) an acid generator, and (C) a nitrogen-containing compound, the base polymer (A) turning alkali insoluble under the catalysis of acid. A polymer having a fluorinated carboxylic acid onium salt on a side chain is included as the base polymer. Processing the negative resist composition by a lithography process may form a resist pattern with advantages including uniform low diffusion of acid, improved LER, and reduced substrate poisoning.

Chemically amplified negative resist composition and patterning process

A negative pattern is formed by coating a resist composition onto a substrate, the resist composition comprising a polymer comprising recurring units having an acid labile group-substituted hydroxyl group, an acid generator, an onium salt of perfluoroalkyl ether carboxylic acid, and an organic solvent, prebaking, exposing, baking, and developing in an organic solvent such that the unexposed region of film is dissolved away and the exposed region of film is not dissolved. In image formation via positive/negative reversal by organic solvent development, the resist film is characterized by a high dissolution contrast between the unexposed and exposed regions.

Patterning process and resist composition

A chemically amplified positive resist composition comprising (A) a triarylsulfonium salt of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-(1,1,2,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropoxy)propionic acid, (B) an acid generator, (C) a base resin, and (D) an organic solvent is suited for ArF immersion lithography. The sulfonium salt is highly hydrophobic and little leached out in immersion water. By virtue of controlled acid diffusion, a pattern profile with high resolution can be constructed.

Chemically amplified positive resist composition for ArF immersion lithography and pattern forming process

There is disclosed a resist composition that remarkably improves the resolution of photolithography using a high energy beam such as ArF excimer laser light as a light source, and exhibits excellent resistance to surface roughness and side lobe under use of a halftone phase shift mask; and a patterning process using the resist composition. The positive resist composition at least comprises (A) a resin component comprising a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (1); (B) a photoacid generator generating sulfonic acid represented by the following general formula (2) upon exposure to a high energy beam; and (C) an onium salt where a cation is sulfonium represented by the following general formula (3), or ammonium represented by the following general formula (4); and an anion is represented by any one of the following general formulae (5) to (7). 

Positive resist composition and patterning process

A sulfonium salt having a 4-fluorophenyl group is introduced as recurring units into a polymer comprising hydroxyphenyl (meth)acrylate units and acid labile group-containing (meth)acrylate units to form a polymer which is useful as a base resin in a resist composition. The resist composition has a high sensitivity, high resolution and minimized LER.

A pattern is formed by coating a first positive resist composition comprising a copolymer comprising lactone-containing recurring units, acid labile group-containing recurring units and carbamate-containing recurring units, and a photoacid generator onto a substrate to form a first resist film, patternwise exposure, PEB, and development to form a first resist pattern, heating the first resist pattern for inactivation to acid, coating a second positive resist composition comprising a C-Calcohol and an optional C-Cether onto the first resist pattern-bearing substrate to form a second resist film, patternwise exposure, PEB, and development to form a second resist pattern.

A pattern is formed by coating a first positive resist composition comprising a base resin, a photoacid generator, and a base generator onto a substrate to form a first resist film, patternwise exposure, PEB, and development to form a first resist pattern, heating the first resist pattern for causing the base generator to generate a base for inactivating the pattern to acid, coating a second positive resist composition comprising a C-Calcohol and an optional C-Cether onto the first resist pattern-bearing substrate to form a second resist film, patternwise exposure, PEB, and development to form a second resist pattern.

A positive resist composition comprising (A) a polymer comprising recurring units of a specific structure adapted to generate an acid in response to high-energy radiation and acid labile units, the polymer having an alkali solubility that increases under the action of an acid, and (B) a sulfonium salt of a specific structure exhibits a high resolution in forming fine size patterns, typically trench patterns and hole patterns. Lithographic properties of profile, DOF and roughness are improved.

There is disclosed a sulfonium salt represented by the following general formula (1). In the formula, X and Y each represents a group having a polymerizable functional group; Z represents a divalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 33 carbon atoms optionally containing a hetero atom; Rrepresents a divalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 36 carbon atoms optionally containing a hetero atom; and Rand Reach represents a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms optionally containing a hetero atom or Rand Rmay be bonded with each other to form a ring together with a sulfur atom in the formula. There can be provided a sulfonium salt usable as a resist composition providing high resolution and excellent in LER in photolithography using a high energy beam such as an ArF excimer laser, an EUV light and an electron beam as a light source, a polymer obtained from the sulfonium salt, a resist composition containing the polymer and a patterning process using the resist composition. 

Sulfonium salt, polymer, method for producing the polymer, resist composition and patterning process

A 2,2-bis(fluoroalkyl)oxirane (A) is prepared by reacting a fluorinated alcohol (1) with a chlorinating, brominating or sulfonylating agent under basic conditions to form an oxirane precursor (2) and subjecting the oxirane precursor to ring closure under basic conditions. Rand Rare fluoroalkyl groups, Rand Rare hydrogen or monovalent hydrocarbon groups, X is chlorine, bromine or &#x2014;OSORgroup, and Ris alkyl or aryl. 

Preparation of 2,2-bis (fluoroalkyl) oxirane and preparation of photoacid generator therefrom

A polymer comprising recurring units having a fluorinated carboxylic acid onium salt structure on a side chain is used to formulate a chemically amplified positive resist composition. When the composition is processed by lithography to form a positive pattern, the diffusion of acid in the resist film is uniform and slow, and the pattern is improved in LER.

Polymer, chemically amplified positive resist composition and pattern forming process

A chemically amplified resist composition is provided comprising (A) a specific tertiary amine compound, (B) a specific acid generator, (C) a base resin having an acidic functional group protected with an acid labile group, which is substantially insoluble in alkaline developer and turns soluble in alkaline developer upon deprotection of the acid labile group, and (D) an organic solvent. The resist composition has a high resolution, improved defect control in the immersion lithography, and good shelf stability.

Chemically amplified resist composition and patterning process

The photoacid generator produces a sulfonic acid which has a bulky cyclic structure in the sulfonate moiety and a straight-chain hydrocarbon group and thus shows a controlled acid diffusion behavior and an adequate mobility. The PAG is fully compatible with a resin to form a resist composition which performs well during the device fabrication process and solves the problems of resolution, LWR, and exposure latitude.

Photoacid generator, resist composition, and patterning process

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Joetsu, Japan

Youichi Ohsawa