A semiconductor device and method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is disclosed herein including creating a photoresist mixture that includes a surfactant, and a base solvent; one or more boiling point modifying solvents having a boiling point higher in temperature than the base solvent; and one or more hydrophilicity modifying solvents that are more hydrophilic than the base solvent; depositing the photoresist mixture onto a substrate comprising a plurality of UBMLs using a wet film process; performing a pre-bake process to cure the photoresist; and patterning the photoresist.

In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a hydrophobic solvent as a gas is directed to flow over a bevel region of a wafer. A layer of the hydrophobic solvent is deposited on an upper bevel of the bevel region on top surface of the wafer and on a lower bevel of the bevel region on bottom surface of the wafer. A metal-containing photo resist layer is disposed on an internal region of the top surface of the wafer enclosed by the bevel region. During a subsequent processing operation, a photo resist material of the metal-containing photo resist layer is blocked off inside the top surface of the wafer by the layer of the hydrophobic solvent.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a photoresist layer comprising a photoresist composition over a substrate to form a photoresist-coated substrate. The photoresist layer is selectively exposed to actinic radiation to form a latent pattern in the photoresist layer. The latent pattern is developed by applying a developer to the selectively exposed photoresist layer to form a patterned photoresist layer exposing a portion of the substrate, and a purge gas is applied to the patterned photoresist layer.

A method of coating a structure is disclosed. Method steps include providing a structure having a first portion of a first material having a first surface and providing a second portion of a second material having a second surface, wherein a mask is provided over the first surface. Another step includes exposing the mask and the second surface to a solution comprising a polymer and a solvent, wherein the solution dewets from the mask and the polymer collects onto the second surface to form a polymer coating over the second surface without forming a polymer coating on the first surface.

Methods of forming optical devices using nanoimprint lithography and etch processes are provided. In one embodiment, a method is provided that includes depositing a first resist layer on a substrate, the substrate having a hardmask disposed thereon, imprinting a first resist portion of the first resist layer with a first single-height stamp, etching the first resist portion of the first resist layer, etching a first hardmask portion of the hardmask corresponding to the first resist portion of the first resist layer, removing the first resist layer and depositing a second resist layer, imprinting a second resist portion of the second resist layer with a second single-height stamp, etching the second resist portion of the second resist layer, and etching a second hardmask portion of the hardmask corresponding to the second resist portion of the second resist layer.

An apparatus includes: a coating module for applying a coating liquid to each wafer and discharging a removing liquid from a nozzle toward a beveled portion of the wafer under rotation; an imaging module; and a controller for controlling: the imaging module to image outer end and rear surfaces of the wafer; obtaining a height dimension of an outer edge of a coating film with respect to an inner edge of the beveled portion based on the imaging result; determining whether or not the obtained dimension is an allowable value; if the result is negative, resetting the number of revolutions of the wafer based on the obtained dimension and a first reference data; controlling the coating module to again perform the application and removal operations; performing the determination process; and if the result is positive, storing the reset number of revolutions in a storage part.

A photosensitive resin composition including a polyamide-imide resin having a specific structure, a film comprising a cured product of the photosensitive resin composition, a method for preparing the film and a method for forming a resist pattern using the photosensitive resin composition.

A method of processing a wafer that includes: positioning the wafer within a processing chamber, the wafer including a film deposited over a surface of the wafer; rotating the wafer within the processing chamber; mixing a first fluid with a second fluid at a mixing ratio using a dispense nozzle assembly resulting in a fluid mixture; and while rotating the wafer, dispensing the fluid mixture from the dispense nozzle assembly over an edge portion of the wafer to remove a portion of the film on the edge portion of the wafer.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a first protective layer over an edge portion of a first main surface of a semiconductor substrate. A metal-containing photoresist layer is formed over the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate. The first protective layer is removed, and the metal-containing photoresist layer is selectively exposed to actinic radiation. A second protective layer is formed over the edge portion of the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate. The selectively exposed photoresist layer is developed to form a patterned photoresist layer, and the second protective layer is removed.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a forming a photoresist layer over a semiconductor substrate and selectively exposing the photoresist layer to actinic radiation. After selectively exposing the photoresist layer to actinic radiation, storing the semiconductor substrate in a semiconductor substrate container under an ambient of extreme dry clean air or inert gas. The method also includes after the storing the semiconductor substrate, performing a first heating of the photoresist layer.