IP Library Granted Patent US 8,076,053
Granted Patent B2
US 8,076,053 · App. 12/091,712 · Granted Dec 13, 2011

Upper layer-forming composition and photoresist patterning method

Assignee: JSR Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,076,053
App. No.
12/091,712
Granted
Dec 13, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

An upper layer-forming composition formed on a photoresist while causing almost no intermixing with the photoresist film and a photoresist patterning method are provided. The upper layer-forming composition is stably maintained without being eluted in a medium such as water during liquid immersion lithography and is easily dissolved in an alkaline developer. The upper layer-forming composition covers a photoresist film for forming a pattern by exposure to radiation. The composition comprises a resin dissolvable in a developer for the photoresist film and a solvent in which the resin is dissolved. The solvent has a viscosity of less than 5.2×10 −3 Pa·s at 20° C. In addition, the solvent does not cause intermixing of the photoresist film and the upper layer-forming composition. The solvent contains an ether or a hydrocarbon.

Claims (10)

1. An upper layer-forming composition covering a photoresist film for forming a pattern by exposure to radiation, comprising a resin dissolvable in a developer for the photoresist film and a solvent in which the resin is dissolved,

wherein the solvent has a viscosity of less than 5.2×10 −3 Pa·s at 20° C.,

does not cause intermixing of the photoresist film and the upper layer-forming composition, and is a mixture of a compound shown by the following formula (1) and a monohydric alcohol solvent having 1 to 10 carbon atoms,

R 1 —O—R 2   (1)

wherein R 1 and R 2 individually represent a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or a halogenated hydrocarbon group.

2. The upper layer-forming composition according to claim 1 , wherein the resin has at least one recurring unit selected from the group consisting of recurring units having a group shown by the following formula (2), (3), or (4), a carboxyl group, and a sulfo group, and has a weight average molecular weight measured by gel permeation chromatography of 2,000 to 100,000,

wherein, in the formula (2), R3 and R4 individually represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a fluoroalkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, in the formula (3), R5 represents a fluoroalkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and, in the formula (4), R6 represents an organic group having a polar group.

3. The upper layer-forming composition according to claim 2 , further comprising at least one component selected from the group consisting of an acid component and an acid-generator component which generates an acid by being exposed to radiation.

4. A photoresist patterning method comprising a step of forming a photoresist film by applying a photoresist composition to a substrate, a step of forming an upper layer film on the photoresist film, and a step of forming a resist pattern by irradiating the photoresist film and the upper layer film with radiation using a liquid as a medium through a mask having a specific pattern, and developing the photoresist pattern,

wherein the step of forming an upper layer film is carried out using the upper layer-forming composition according to claim 3 .

Assignments (3)
MERGER Recorded Mar 23, 2026
From: JSR CORPORATION
To: JICC-02, CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 075191/0149 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 23, 2026
From: JICC-02 CO., LTD
To: JSR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 075192/0023 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 25, 2009
From: NAKAMURA, ATSUSHI; NAKAGAWA, HIROKI; NAKASHIMA, HIROMITSU; TSUJI, TAKAYUKI; DOUGAUCHI, HIROSHI; KOUNO, DAITA; NISHIMURA, YUKIO
To: JSR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 022877/0685 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2005-312775 · Oct 27, 2005 · national
JP 2006-085223 · Mar 27, 2006 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100003615A1 · Jan 7, 2010