A hard-mask forming composition, which is used for forming a hard mask used in lithography, including a first resin and a second resin, in which an amount of carbon contained in the first resin is 85% by mass or more with respect to the total mass of all elements constituting the first resin, and the amount of carbon contained in the second resin is 70% by mass or more with respect to the total mass of all elements constituting the second resin and less than the amount of carbon contained in the first resin.

A method for etching a light absorbing material permits directly writing a pattern of etching of silicon nitride and other light absorbing materials, without the need of a lithographic mask, and allows the creation of etched features of less than one micron in size. The method can be used for etching deposited silicon nitride films, freestanding silicon nitride membranes, and other light absorbing materials, with control over the thickness achieved by optical feedback. The etching is promoted by solvents including electron donor species, such as chloride ions. The method provides the ability to etch silicon nitride and other light absorbing materials, with fine spatial and etch rate control, in mild conditions, including in a biocompatible environment. The method can be used to create nanopores and nanopore arrays.

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 method of forming at least one lithography feature, the method including: providing at least one lithography recess on a substrate, the or each lithography recess having at least one side-wall and a base, with the at least one side-wall having a width between portions thereof; providing a self-assemblable block copolymer having first and second blocks in the or each lithography recess; causing the self-assemblable block copolymer to self-assemble into an ordered layer within the or each lithography recess, the ordered layer including at least a first domain of first blocks and a second domain of second blocks; causing the self-assemblable block copolymer to cross-link in a directional manner; and selectively removing the first domain to form lithography features of the second domain within the or each lithography recess.

Provided herein are encoded microcarriers for analyte detection in multiplex assays. The microcarriers are encoded with an analog code for identification and include a capture agent for analyte detection. Also provided are methods of making the encoded microcarriers disclosed herein. Further provided are methods and kits for conducting a multiplex assay using the microcarriers described herein.

Provided herein are encoded microcarriers for analyte detection in multiplex assays. The microcarriers are encoded with an analog code for identification and include a capture agent for analyte detection. Also provided are methods of making the encoded microcarriers disclosed herein. Further provided are methods and kits for conducting a multiplex assay using the microcarriers described herein.

Provided herein are encoded microcarriers for analyte detection in multiplex assays. The microcarriers are encoded with an analog code for identification and include a capture agent for analyte detection. Also provided are methods of making the encoded microcarriers disclosed herein. Further provided are methods and kits for conducting a multiplex assay using the microcarriers described herein.

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.

This manufacturing method of a metal component enables precision processing of a corner portion, and the radius of curvature of a cog tip of a gear and the like can be made smaller than before. The manufacturing method of a metal component includes: (a) forming a mask film having, in plan view, a first side, a second side, and an extension portion that extends from a region between the first side and the second side on a metal film; and (b) forming a corner portion having, in plan view, a third side and a fourth side by etching the metal film.

Provided is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a target etching layer on a substrate, patterning the target etching layer to form a pattern layer including a pattern portion having a first height and a first width and a recess portion having a second width, providing a first gas and a second gas on the pattern layer, and performing a reaction process including reacting the first and second gases with a surface of the pattern portion by irradiating a laser beam on the pattern layer. The performing the reaction process includes removing a portion of sidewalls of the pattern portion so that the pattern portion has a third width that is smaller than the first width.