A resist topcoat composition and a method of forming patterns utilizing the resist topcoat composition are disclosed. The resist topcoat composition includes an acrylic polymer comprising a structural unit comprising a hydroxy group and a fluorine; a mixture comprising a first acid compound comprising at least one fluorine; and a second acid compound different from the first acid compound and comprising at least one fluorine, the first acid compound and the second acid compound are each independently selected from a sulfonic acid compound and a sulfonimide compound, the first acid compound and the second acid compound being in a weight ratio of about 1:0.1 to about 1:50; and a solvent.

A method of forming a photoresist pattern and a semiconductor device on which a photoresist pattern manufactured according to the same is formed. The method includes forming a photoresist pattern on a substrate; coating an organic topcoat composition including an acrylic polymer including a structural unit containing a hydroxy group and a fluorine and an acidic compound on the photoresist pattern; drying and heating the substrate on which the organic topcoat composition is coated to coat it with a topcoat; and spraying a rinse solution including an ether-based compound on the substrate coated with the topcoat to remove the topcoat.

The present invention refers to a method for producing preferably water-based polymeric compositions, preferably dispersions (i.e. latices), which are particularly useful as or in adhesives, especially pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs), particularly pressure-sensitive adhesives removable under neutral or basic (i.e. alkaline) conditions, as well as to the polymeric compositions thus produced and to their various applications, including the copolymers comprised by these polymeric compositions.

The present invention refers to a method for producing preferably water-based polymeric compositions, preferably dispersions (i.e. latices), which are particularly useful as or in adhesives, especially pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs), particularly pressure-sensitive adhesives removable under neutral or basic (i.e. alkaline) conditions, as well as to the polymeric compositions thus produced and to their various applications, including the copolymers comprised by these polymeric compositions.

A photoresist composition comprising: a resin which has a structural unit represented by formula (I): ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a C1 to C6 alkyl group which optionally has a halogen atom, and R.sup.2 represents a C1 to C42 hydrocarbon group which optionally has a substituent; an alkali-soluble resin; an acid generator; and a solvent.

A photoresist composition comprising: a resin which has a structural unit represented by formula (I): ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a C1 to C6 alkyl group which optionally has a halogen atom, and R.sup.2 represents a C1 to C42 hydrocarbon group which optionally has a substituent; an alkali-soluble resin; an acid generator; and a solvent.

A fluorocarboxylic acid-containing polymer comprising recurring units having formula (A1), but not acid labile group-containing recurring units is provided. A resist composition comprising the same offers a high sensitivity and is unsusceptible to nano-bridging or pattern collapse independent of whether it is of positive or negative tone. ##STR00001##

A method for producing a composition for forming a non-photosensitive upper layer film that is disposed on a workpiece and a photosensitive resist film, the production method includes cleaning a production device for a composition X.sub.A for forming a non-photosensitive upper layer film with a cleaning liquid to clean the production device until a concentration of a resin included in the cleaning liquid reaches 10 ppm by mass or less, discharging the cleaning liquid from the production device, and producing the composition X.sub.A for forming a non-photosensitive upper layer film using the production device. The cleaning, the discharging, and the producing are performed in this order.

A resist composition containing: (A) a resin containing a repeating unit having an acid-labile group; (B) a photo-acid generator shown by a general formula (B-1); and (C) a solvent, where W.sub.1 represents a cyclic divalent hydrocarbon group having 4 to 12 carbon atoms and containing a heteroatom; W.sub.2 represents a cyclic monovalent hydrocarbon group having 4 to 14 carbon atoms and not containing a heteroatom; Rf represents a divalent organic group shown by the following general formula; and M.sup.+ represents an onium cation. This provides a resist composition and a patterning process that uses the resist composition that show a particularly favorable mask dimension dependency (mask error factor: MEF), LWR, and critical dimension uniformity (CDU) particularly in photolithography where a high-energy beam such as an ArF excimer laser beam is used as a light source. ##STR00001##

A resist composition containing: (A) a resin containing a repeating unit having an acid-labile group; (B) a photo-acid generator shown by a general formula (B-1); and (C) a solvent, where W.sub.1 represents a cyclic divalent hydrocarbon group having 4 to 12 carbon atoms and containing a heteroatom; W.sub.2 represents a cyclic monovalent hydrocarbon group having 4 to 14 carbon atoms and not containing a heteroatom; Rf represents a divalent organic group shown by the following general formula; and M.sup.+ represents an onium cation. This provides a resist composition and a patterning process that uses the resist composition that show a particularly favorable mask dimension dependency (mask error factor: MEF), LWR, and critical dimension uniformity (CDU) particularly in photolithography where a high-energy beam such as an ArF excimer laser beam is used as a light source. ##STR00001##