A radiation-sensitive resin composition includes: a polymer, solubility of which in a developer solution is capable of being altered by an action of an acid; a radiation-sensitive acid generator; and a compound represented by formula (1). Ar.sup.1 represents a group obtained by removing (a+b+2) hydrogen atoms from an aromatic hydrocarbon ring having 6 to 30 ring atoms; R.sup.1 represents a halogen atom or a monovalent organic group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms; L.sup.1 represents a divalent linking group; R.sup.2 represents a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms; a is an integer of 0 to 10, b is an integer of 1 to 10, wherein a sum of a and b is no greater than 10; and X.sup.+ represents a monovalent radiation-sensitive onium cation.

##STR00001##

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure includes the following operations. A photoresist layer is formed on a metal layer, in which the photoresist layer includes an additive selected from the group consisting of a first heterocyclic compound containing a triazole ring, a second heterocyclic compound containing an imidazole ring, biphenyl thiol, biphenyl dithiol, benzenethiol, and benzenedithiol. The photoresist layer is exposed to an actinic radiation. The photoresist layer is developed by a developer to form holes in the photoresist layer. Redistribution lines are formed in the holes by an electroplating process.

A positive resist composition comprising a base polymer comprising recurring units (a) having the structure of an ammonium salt of an iodized or brominated phenol, and recurring units (b1) having an acid labile group-substituted carboxyl group and/or recurring units (b2) having an acid labile group-substituted phenolic hydroxyl group exhibits a high sensitivity, high resolution, low edge roughness and dimensional uniformity, and forms a pattern of good profile after exposure and development.

Method of forming pattern in photoresist layer includes forming photoresist layer over substrate, selectively exposing photoresist layer to actinic radiation forming latent pattern. Latent pattern is developed by applying developer to form pattern. Photoresist layer includes photoresist composition including polymer: ##STR00001##
A.sub.1, A.sub.2, L are direct bond, C4-C30 aromatic, C4-C30 alkyl, C4-C30 cycloalkyl, C4-C30 hydroxylalkyl, C4-C30 alkoxy, C4-C30 alkoxyl alkyl, C4-C30 acetyl, C4-C30 acetylalkyl, C4-C30 alkyl carboxyl, C4-C30 cycloalkyl carboxyl, C4-C30 hydrocarbon ring, C4-C30 heterocyclic, —COO—, A1 and A2 are not both direct bonds, and are unsubstituted or substituted with a halogen, carbonyl, or hydroxyl; A.sub.3 is C6-C14 aromatic, wherein A.sub.3 is unsubstituted or substituted with halogen, carbonyl, or hydroxyl; R.sub.1 is acid labile group; Ra, Rb are H or C1-C3 alkyl; R.sub.f is direct bond or C1-C5 fluorocarbon; PAG is photoacid generator; 0≤x/(x+y+z)≤1, 0≤y/(x+y+z)≤1, and 0≤z/(x+y+z)≤1.

A polymer comprising a first repeating unit including an amino group protected by an alkoxycarbonyl group; a second repeating unit including a nucleophilic group; and a third repeating unit including a crosslinkable group, wherein the first repeating unit, the second repeating unit, and the third repeating unit are different from each other.

A photoresist composition includes a conjugated resist additive, a photoactive compound, and a polymer resin. The conjugated resist additive is one or more selected from the group consisting of a polyacetylene, a polythiophene, a polyphenylenevinylene, a polyfluorene, a polypryrrole, a polyphenylene, and a polyaniline. The polyacetylene, polythiophene, polyphenylenevinylene, polyfluorene, polypryrrole, the polyphenylene, and polyaniline includes a substituent selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group, an ether group, an ester group, an alkene group, an aromatic group, an anthracene group, an alcohol group, an amine group, a carboxylic acid group, and an amide group. Another photoresist composition includes a polymer resin having a conjugated moiety and a photoactive compound. The conjugated moiety is one or more selected from the group consisting of a polyacetylene, a polythiophene, a polyphenylenevinylene, a polyfluorene, a polypryrrole, a polyphenylene, and a polyaniline.

A method for producing an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition, comprising: preparing an intermediate solution which includes a photoacid generator and a solvent; and mixing the intermediate solution with at least a resin to prepare an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition having a viscosity of 10 mPa.Math.s or more.

A resist composition is provided comprising a base polymer and a quencher comprising a salt compound consisting of a cyclic ammonium cation and a 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propoxide anion having a trifluoromethyl, hydrocarbylcarbonyl or hydrocarbyloxycarbonyl group bonded thereto. The resist composition has a high sensitivity and forms a pattern with improved LWR or CDU, independent of whether it is of positive or negative tone.

Provided are a salt capable of producing a resist pattern with satisfactory CD uniformity (CDU), an acid generator, and a resist composition comprising the same. Disclosed are a salt represented by formula (I), an acid generator, and a resist composition comprising the same:

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 each represent a halogen atom, a haloalkyl group or a hydrocarbon group; A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 each represent a hydrocarbon group, the hydrocarbon group may have a substituent, and —CH.sub.2— included in the hydrocarbon group may be replaced by —O—, —CO—, —S— or —SO.sub.2—; ml represents an integer of 1 to 5, m2, m4, m5 and m8 represent an integer of 0 to 5, m7 represents an integer of 0 to 4, 1≤m1+m7≤5, 0≤m2+m8≤5; and AI.sup.− represents an organic anion.

A positive resist composition is provided comprising (A) a specific sulfonium salt as quencher, (B) a sulfonium salt consisting of a fluorinated sulfonate anion and a sulfonium cation as acid generator, and (C) a base polymer comprising repeat units having an acid labile group. The resist composition has a high sensitivity and resolution, improved LWR or CDU, and a broad process window and forms a pattern of good profile after exposure.