IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,656,683
Granted Patent B2
US 12,656,683 · App. 18/126,098 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Resist composition and patterning process

Inventors: Takeshi Sasami (Joetsu, JP); Masayoshi Sagehashi (Joetsu, JP); Kenji Yamada (Joetsu, JP)
Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
G03F7/039C07C381/12C08F220/1805C08F220/1806C08F220/1807C08F220/1808C08F220/1809C08F220/22G03F7/0392
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,656,683
App. No.
18/126,098
Granted
Jun 16, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention is a resist composition, including: a resin (A) having: a repeating unit represented by the general formula (p-1); a repeating unit represented by the general formula (a-1); and a repeating unit represented by the general formula (b-1); a resin (B) having: a repeating unit represented by the general formula (p-2); a repeating unit represented by the general formula (a-1); and a repeating unit represented by the general formula (b-1); and a solvent (D), wherein a content of the resin (A) contained in the resist composition is smaller than a content of the resin (B). This provides a resist composition that reduces roughness and size uniformity of a hole pattern with high resolution exceeding that of conventional resist materials even with a high exposure-dose region, that has good pattern shape after exposure, and that has excellent etching resistance.

Claims (45)

1 . A resist composition, comprising:

a resin (A) having: a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (p-1); a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (a-1) and changing in its polarity by an action of an acid to be soluble in an alkaline aqueous solution; and a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (b-1);

a resin (B) having: a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (p-2); a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (a-1) and changing in its polarity by an action of an acid to be soluble in an alkaline aqueous solution; and a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (b-1); and

a solvent (D), wherein

a content of the resin (A) contained in the resist composition is smaller than a content of the resin (B),

wherein in the general formula (p-1), R 1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;

Z 1 represents a single bond, a phenylene group, —O—Z 11 —, —C(═O)—O—Z 11 —, —C(═O)—NH—Z 11 —, —Z 12 -Ph-, —Z 12 —O-Ph-, or —Z 12 —C(═O)—O-Ph-; Z 11 represents an alkanediyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkenediyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, or a phenylene group, Z 11 optionally having a carbonyl group, an ester bond, an ether bond, or a hydroxy group; Z 12 represents a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms; Ph represents a phenylene group;

R 2 and R 3 each independently represents a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and optionally having a heteroatom, or a phenyl group;

M 0− represents a non-nucleophilic counterion;

in the general formula (p-2), R 4 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;

Z 2 represents a single bond, a phenylene group, —O—Z 21 —, —C(═O)—O—Z 21 —, —Z 21 —C(═O)—O—, or —C(═O)—NH—Z 21 —; Z 21 represents a single bond, an alkanediyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkenediyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, or a phenylene group, Z 21 optionally having a carbonyl group, an ester bond, an ether bond, or a hydroxy group;

M 1+ represents a counter cation having a substituent and being a sulfonium cation, an iodonium cation, or an ammonium cation;

R 5 represents a hydrogen atom or a trifluoromethyl group;

in the general formula (a-1), R 6 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;

Y represents a group having a structure changing in its polarity by an action of an acid to be soluble in an alkaline aqueous solution;

in the general formula (b-1), R 7 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;

Z 3 represents a single bond, a methylene group, an ethylene group, a phenylene group, a fluorinated phenylene group, an ester bond, an amide bond, —O—Z 31 —, —C(═O)—O—Z 31 —, or —C(═O)—NH—Z 31 —; Z 31 represents an alkanediyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms and optionally having a carbonyl group, an ester bond, or an ether bond;

“n1” represents an integer of 1 to 3; “n2” represents an integer of 0 to 3; a total of “n1” and “n2” is 5 or less; and

R 8 represents a halogen atom, a linear hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or a branched or cyclic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, and —CH 2 — constituting these groups are optionally substituted with —O—, —C(═O)—O—, or —C(═O)—, or optionally substituted with a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a heteroatom.

2 . The resist composition according to claim 1 , wherein the non-nucleophilic counterion M 0− in the general formula (p-1) is represented by the following general formula (e-0),

wherein R 8b and R 9 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, or a trifluoromethyl group; and

R 10 represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted linear alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted branched or cyclic alkyl group having 3 to 20 carbon atoms, or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms.

3 . The resist composition according to claim 1 , wherein the resin (A) and the resin (B) have no repeating unit having a lactone structure.

4 . The resist composition according to claim 2 , wherein the resin (A) and the resin (B) have no repeating unit having a lactone structure.

5 . The resist composition according to claim 1 , further comprising a resin (C) having no repeating unit changing in its polarity by an action of an acid to be soluble in an alkaline aqueous solution.

6 . The resist composition according to claim 2 , further comprising a resin (C) having no repeating unit changing in its polarity by an action of an acid to be soluble in an alkaline aqueous solution.

7 . The resist composition according to claim 3 , further comprising a resin (C) having no repeating unit changing in its polarity by an action of an acid to be soluble in an alkaline aqueous solution.

8 . The resist composition according to claim 4 , further comprising a resin (C) having no repeating unit changing in its polarity by an action of an acid to be soluble in an alkaline aqueous solution.

9 . The resist composition according to claim 5 , wherein the resin (C) has a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (c-1),

wherein R 1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; X 1 represents a single bond or a divalent linking group selected from a divalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a fluorinated phenylene group, —O—X 11 —, —C(═O)—O—X 11 —, and —C(═O)—NH—X 11 —; and X 11 represents an alkanediyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and optionally having a carbonyl group, an ester bond, or an ether bond.

10 . The resist composition according to claim 6 , wherein the resin (C) has a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (c-1),

wherein R 11 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; X 1 represents a single bond or a divalent linking group selected from a divalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a fluorinated phenylene group, —O—X 11 —, —C(═O)—O—X 11 —, and —C(═O)—NH—X 11 —; and X 11 represents an alkanediyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and optionally having a carbonyl group, an ester bond, or an ether bond.

11 . The resist composition according to claim 7 , wherein the resin (C) has a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (c-1),

wherein R 1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; X 1 represents a single bond or a divalent linking group selected from a divalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a fluorinated phenylene group, —O—X 11 —, —C(═O)—O—X 11 —, and —C(═O)—NH—X 11 —; and X 11 represents an alkanediyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and optionally having a carbonyl group, an ester bond, or an ether bond.

12 . The resist composition according to claim 8 , wherein the resin (C) has a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (c-1),

wherein R 11 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; X 1 represents a single bond or a divalent linking group selected from a divalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a fluorinated phenylene group, —O—X 11 —, —C(═O)—O—X 11 —, and —C(═O)—NH—X 11 —; and X 11 represents an alkanediyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and optionally having a carbonyl group, an ester bond, or an ether bond.

13 . The resist composition according to claim 1 , further comprising an onium salt (E) represented by the following general formula (e-1),

wherein R 12 and R 13 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms and optionally having a fluorine atom, or a trifluoromethyl group;

R 14 represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted linear alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted branched or cyclic alkyl group having 3 to 20 carbon atoms, the alkyl group optionally having an ether bond and an ester bond, or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms; and

M 2+ represents a counter cation having a substituent and being a sulfonium cation or an iodonium cation.

14 . The resist composition according to claim 1 , wherein the solvent (D) is a mixed solvent of two or three solvents selected from propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, propylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethyl lactate, γ-butyrolactone, and 4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone.

15 . A patterning process, comprising:

(i) a step of forming a resist film on a substrate by using the resist composition according to claim 1 ;

(ii) a step of exposing the resist film to KrF excimer laser with a wavelength of 248 nm, ArF excimer laser with a wavelength of 193 nm, EUV lithography with a wavelength of 13.5 nm, or electron beam; and

(iii) a step of developing the exposed resist film with an alkaline developer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 24, 2023
From: SASAMI, TAKESHI; SAGEHASHI, MASAYOSHI; YAMADA, KENJI
To: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063095/0360 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-052470 · Mar 28, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230305398A1 · Sep 28, 2023
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