A method for forming a functionalised guide pattern for the self-assembly of a block copolymer by graphoepitaxy, includes forming a guide pattern made of a first material having a first chemical affinity for the block copolymer, the guide pattern having a cavity with a bottom and side walls; grafting a functionalisation layer made of a second polymeric material having a second chemical affinity for the block copolymer, the functionalisation layer having a first portion grafted onto the bottom of the cavity and a second portion grafted onto the side walls of the cavity; selectively etching the second portion of the functionalisation layer relative to the first portion of the functionalisation layer, the etching including a step of exposure to an ion beam following a direction that intersects the second portion of the functionalisation layer, such that the ion beam does not reach the first portion of the functionalisation layer.

A virtual fabrication environment for semiconductor device fabrication that determines a lowest lithography exposure dose range in which one or more defects are still reparable by deposition and etch operations is discussed. Further techniques for repairing line edge roughness caused by lithography are described.

According to one embodiment, a pattern formation material is included in a polymer layer to be provided between a block copolymer layer and a substrate. The block copolymer layer includes a block copolymer including a plurality of blocks. The pattern formation material includes a pattern formation polymer. The pattern formation polymer consists of a main chain including an acrylic backbone, and a side chain. One of the plurality of blocks include a plurality of polymer components. The plurality of polymer components are of mutually-different types. A solubility parameter of the pattern formation material is between a maximum value and a minimum value of a solubility parameter of the polymer components.

The present invention provides an imprint apparatus for forming a pattern in an imprint material on a substrate using an original, comprising: an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of the substrate; and a processor configured to perform, based on fine-detection marks and rough-detection marks in the image obtained by the image capturing unit, an alignment process of the original and the substrate in forming the pattern in the imprint material, and overlay inspection of the substrate and the pattern formed in the imprint material, wherein the processor is configured to change, between the alignment process and the overlay inspection, a rough-detection mark group to be used to specify positions of fine-detection marks in the image obtained by the image capturing unit.

A method and a system for etching of semiconductor substrates, and particularly, wet etching of wafers. The etch rate of liquid solutions applied on the wafer is adjusted by irradiating the liquid solutions with spatially varied light intensity. Photo-reactive agents are added to the liquid solutions, the agents including photo acids, photo bases and photo-oxidizers. Illumination of the photo-reactive agents causes increase/decrease of the pH value and oxidation potential value of the liquid solutions.

A display substrate, a method for preparing the same and a display device are provided. The method for preparing the display substrate includes: providing a base substrate, in which the base substrate includes a first region and a second region; forming a first structure in the first region using a first mask and a first photoresist; forming a functional material layer at a side, which is away from the base substrate, of the first structure; and patterning the functional material layer using a second mask and the first mask to form a functional layer in the second region.

The present disclosure describes a method for improving post-photolithography critical dimension (CD) uniformity for features printed on a photoresist. A layer can be formed on one or more printed features and subsequently etched to improve overall CD uniformity across the features. For example the method includes a material layer disposed over a substrate and a photoresist over the material layer. The photoresist is patterned to form a first feature with a first critical dimension (CD) and a second feature with a second CD that is larger than the first CD. Further, a layer is formed with one or more deposition/etch cycles in the second feature to form a modified second CD that is nominally equal to the first CD.

An object of the present invention is to provide a wafer edge protection film having dry etching resistance superior to those of the previously-known wafer edge protection films, as well as excellent film forming property even at wafer edge portions, which are difficult to coat: a wafer edge protection film forming method for forming a protection film on a wafer edge of a substrate, including the steps of (i) coating a peripheral edge of the substrate with a composition for forming a protection film including an aromatic ring-containing resin (A) having an organic group represented by the following general formula (1), and a solvent; and (ii) curing the applied composition for forming a protection film by heat or optical irradiation to form the protection film on the peripheral edge of the substrate.

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wherein R.sup.A is a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and * represents a bonding site.

A resist underlayer composition and a method of forming patterns using a resist underlayer composition, the resist underlayer composition including a polymer, the polymer including a structural unit that is a reaction product of an isocyanurate compound, the isocyanurate compound having at least one thiol group thereon, and a solvent.

The present disclosure describes a method for improving post-photolithography critical dimension (CD) uniformity for features printed on a photoresist. A layer can be formed on one or more printed features and subsequently etched to improve overall CD uniformity across the features. For example the method includes a material layer disposed over a substrate and a photoresist over the material layer. The photoresist is patterned to form a first feature with a first critical dimension (CD) and a second feature with a second CD that is larger than the first CD. Further, a layer is formed with one or more deposition/etch cycles in the second feature to form a modified second CD that is nominally equal to the first CD.