IP Library Granted Patent US 9,921,481
Granted Patent B2
US 9,921,481 · App. 14/768,660 · Granted Mar 20, 2018

Fine resist pattern-forming composition and pattern forming method using same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,921,481
App. No.
14/768,660
Granted
Mar 20, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention provides a composition enabling to form a fine negative photoresist pattern free from troubles such as surface roughness, bridge defects or unresolved defects, and the invention also provides a pattern formation method employing that composition. The composition is used for miniaturizing a resist pattern by applying to a negative resist pattern from a chemically amplified resist composition and fattening the resist pattern. This composition comprises a polymer comprising a repeating unit having an amino group or a polymer mixture, and a solvent, and further comprises a specific amount of an acid or indicates a specific pH value. The polymer mixture comprises polymers whose HSP distance, determined from Hansen solubility parameter, is 3 or more. In the pattern formation method, the composition is cast on a negative photoresist pattern beforehand obtained by development with an organic solvent developer and is then heated to form a fine pattern.

Claims (18)

1. A method for forming a miniaturized positive resist pattern, comprising the steps of:

coating a semiconductor substrate with a chemically amplified photoresist composition, to form a photoresist layer;

exposing said semiconductor substrate coated with said photoresist layer;

developing said photoresist layer with an organic solvent developer after said exposing step, to form a photoresist pattern;

coating said photoresist pattern with a fine pattern-forming composition containing a polymer comprising a repeating unit having an amino group, an acid in an amount of more than 50 wt % to 200 wt % or less based on the weight of said polymer, provided that said acid does not comprise a carboxylic acid, and a solvent, wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyvinylamine, polylallylamine, polydiallylamine, and poly(allylamine-co-diallylamine);

heating the coated photoresist pattern; and

washing to remove excess of the fine pattern-forming composition.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in said fine pattern-forming composition, said polymer is selected from polyvinylamine, or polyallylamine.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in said fine pattern-forming composition, said polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyvinylamine, polyallylamine, and polydiallylamine.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in said fine pattern-forming composition, said acid is selected from the group consisting of a sulfonic acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and mixtures thereof.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein in said fine pattern-forming composition, said sulfonic acid is selected from the group consisting of methanesulfonic acid, ethanesulfonic acid, 2-am inomethanesulfonic acid, trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, and 10-camphorsulfonic acid.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in said fine pattern-forming composition, said solvent contains water.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in said fine pattern-forming composition which further contains a surfactant.

8. The method according to claim 1 for forming a miniaturized negative resist pattern, wherein said photoresist composition further comprises a photo acid-generating agent.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in said fine pattern-forming composition, said acid comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a sulfonic acid, and an inorganic acid.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in said fine pattern-forming composition, said acid comprises at least one from the group consisting methanesulfonic acid, ethanesulfonic acid, 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, 10-camphorsulfonic acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and hydrochloric acid.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said polymer is polylallylamine, and said polymer is in an amount of 0.1 to 10 wt % based on the total weight of the fine pattern-forming composition, and further said acid is in an amount ranging from 60 wt % to 200 wt % based on the weight of said polymer, and further wherein, the fine pattern-forming composition comprises a surfactant, and the surfactant amount is 0.1 wt % or less based on the total weight of the fine pattern-forming composition.

12. A method for manufacturing semiconductors, comprising the steps of the miniaturized positive resist pattern forming method according to claim 1 .

Assignments (6)
MERGER Recorded Jul 27, 2020
From: RIDGEFIELD ACQUISITION
To: AZ ELECTRONIC MATERIALS S.À R.L.
Reel/Frame 053323/0591 →
CHANGE OF LEGAL ENTITY Recorded Jul 27, 2020
From: AZ ELECTRONIC MATERIALS S.À R.L.
To: AZ ELECTRONIC MATERIALS GMBH
Reel/Frame 053323/0760 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 27, 2020
From: AZ ELECTRONIC MATERIALS GMBH
To: MERCK PATENT GMBH
Reel/Frame 053323/0770 →
MERGER Recorded Jul 27, 2020
From: AZ ELECTRONIC MATERIALS (LUXEMBOURG) S.À R.L.
To: RIDGEFIELD ACQUISITION
Reel/Frame 053324/0198 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Jan 12, 2017
From: AZ ELECTRONIC MATERIALS (LUXEMBOURG) S.À R.L.
To: AZ ELECTRONIC MATERIALS (LUXEMBOURG) S.À R.L.
Reel/Frame 041345/0585 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 9, 2016
From: YAMAMOTO, KAZUMA; MIYAMOTO, YOSHIHIRO; SEKITO, TAKASHI; NAGAHARA, TATSURO
To: AZ ELECTRONIC MATERIALS (LUXEMBOURG) S.A.R.L.
Reel/Frame 037690/0079 →