A substrate is provided with a patterned layer, for example, a photo resist layer, which may exhibit line roughness. In one exemplary embodiment, the patterned layer may be an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photo resist layer. In one method, selective deposition of additional material is provided on the EUV photo resist layer after patterning to provide improved roughness and lithographic structure height to allow for more process margin when transferring the pattern to a layer underlying the photo resist. The additional material is deposited selectively thicker in areas above the photo resist than in areas where the photo resist is not present, such as exposed areas between the photo resist pattern. Pattern transfer to a layer underlying the photo resist may then occur (for example via an etch) while the patterned photo resist and additional material above the photo resist may collectively operate as an etch mask.

A method for making at least one structure having sidewalls with different inclinations includes providing a stack including a substrate having a layer of a positive resin whose tone could be reversed when exposed to an insolation dose D<Dinversion, the patterns exposed to the dose Dinversion not being sensitive to creeping at the glass-transition temperature Tfluage of the resin; forming a non-sensitive first pattern by exposing the resin to a first dose D1≥Dinversion, the first pattern having a first sidewall having a first inclination; and forming a creep-sensitive second pattern by exposing the resin to a second dose D2<Dinversion. Creeping is performed by applying a temperature T≥Tfluage to make the second pattern creep over a portion of the first pattern by leaving uncovered at least partially the first sidewall of the first pattern, and defining at least one second sidewall having a second inclination different from the first inclination.

Techniques for low- or zero-misaligned vias are disclosed. In one embodiment, a high-photosensitivity and low-photosensitivity photoresist are applied to a substrate and exposed at the same time with use of a dual-tone mask. After being developed, one photoresist forms an overhang over a sheltered region. The mold formed by the photoresists is filled with copper and then etched. The overhang prevents the top of the copper infill below the overhang region from being etched. As such, the sheltered region forms a pillar or column after etching, which can be used as a via. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A method includes providing a first multilayer structure including a substrate, a thin film, and a first photoresist layer; providing a second multilayer structure including a mold having a microstructure pattern, and a second photoresist layer; combining the first multilayer structure and the second multilayer structure so that the first photoresist layer is in contact with the second photoresist layer; and applying pressure and temperature. An article including a microstructure pattern is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a composition comprises at least one random copolymer having at least one repeat unit of structure (1), The present invention also relates to novel processes for forming patterns using this novel crosslinked layer on a substrate by enable a film of a block copolymer coated on the novel crosslinked layer to undergo self-assembly. ##STR00001##

In an example of a method for making a flow cell, a light sensitive material is deposited over a resin layer including depressions separated by interstitial regions, wherein the depressions overlie a first resin portion having a first thickness and the interstitial regions overlie a second resin portion having a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness. A predetermined ultraviolet light dosage that is based on the first and second thicknesses is directed through the resin layer, whereby the light sensitive material overlying the depressions is exposed to ultraviolet light and the second resin portion absorbs the ultraviolet light, thereby defining an altered light sensitive material at a first predetermined region over the resin layer. The altered light sensitive material is utilized to generate a functionalized layer at the first predetermined region or at a second predetermined region over the resin layer.

In an example of a method for making a flow cell, a metal material is sputtered over a transparent substrate including depressions separated by interstitial regions to form a metal film having a first thickness over the interstitial regions and having a second thickness over the depressions, the second thickness being about 30 nm or less and being at least ⅓ times smaller than the first thickness. A light sensitive material is deposited over the metal film; and the metal film is used to develop the light sensitive material through the transparent substrate to define an altered light sensitive material at a first predetermined region over the transparent substrate. The altered light sensitive material is utilized to generate a functionalized layer at the first predetermined region or at a second predetermined region over the transparent substrate.

In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, in an EUV scanner, an EUV lithography operation using an EUV mask is performed on a photo resist layer formed over a semiconductor substrate. After the EUV lithography operation, the EUV mask is unloaded from a mask stage of the EUV scanner. The EUV mask is placed under a reduced pressure below an atmospheric pressure. The EUV mask is heated under the reduced pressure at a first temperature in a range from 100° C. to 350 C°. After the heating, the EUV mask is stored in a mask stocker.

A positive resist composition comprising a base polymer comprising recurring units (a) having the structure of an ammonium salt of a carboxylic acid having an iodized or brominated aromatic ring exhibits a high sensitivity, high resolution, low edge roughness (LER, LWR) and small size variation, and forms a pattern of good profile after exposure and development.

Provided is a method for producing a multi-layered microchannel device by using a photosensitive resin laminate, which is highly-defined and excellent in dimension accuracy and enables channels to be partially hydrophilized or hydrophobilized, wherein the method comprises step (i) of sequentially carrying out (i-a) forming a first photosensitive resin layer on a substrate, (i-b) light-exposing the first photosensitive resin layer, and (i-c) developing the light-exposed photosensitive layer and forming a channel pattern layer, to form a first channel pattern layer; and step (ii) of sequentially carrying out (ii-a) laminating a second photosensitive resin laminate on the first channel pattern layer formed in the step (i), (ii-b) light-exposing a photosensitive layer of the second photosensitive resin laminate, and (ii-c) developing the light-exposed photosensitive layer and forming a channel pattern layer, to form a second channel pattern layer.