A semiconductor manufacturing device has an outer cup and inner cup with a wafer suction mount disposed within the outer cup. A photoresist material is applied to a first surface of a semiconductor wafer disposed on the wafer suction mount while rotating at a first speed. A gas port is disposed on the inner cup for dispensing a gas oriented toward a bottom side of the semiconductor wafer. The gas port purges a second surface of the semiconductor wafer with a gas to remove contamination. The second surface of the semiconductor wafer is rinsed while purging with the gas. The gas can be a stable or inert gas, such as nitrogen. The contamination is removed from the second surface of the semiconductor wafer through an outlet between the inner cup and outer cup. The semiconductor wafer rotates at a second greater speed after discontinuing purge with the gas.

A semiconductor device comprises a metallization layer, a passivation layer disposed above the metallization layer, a copper redistribution layer disposed on the passivation layer, a second passivation layer disposed on the copper redistribution layer, and a polyimide layer disposed over the second passivation layer. The polyimide layer and the second passivation layer include a continuous gap there-through that exposes a portion of the copper redistribution layer.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes obtaining a first image of a fluid dispense nozzle using a first camera, the fluid dispense nozzle configured to dispense fluid on a semiconductor substrate, obtaining a second image of the fluid dispense nozzle using a second camera, the second image having a higher resolution than the first image, determining a width of the fluid dispense nozzle at multiple intervals along the fluid dispense nozzle and a width of a spray pattern of a fluid being dispensed from the fluid dispense nozzle at multiple intervals along the spray pattern, fitting a first straight line to a series of data points representing a plurality of widths of the intervals along the fluid dispense nozzle and a plurality of widths of the intervals along the spray pattern, determining a first slope of the first straight line, and determining a condition of the spray pattern and the fluid dispense nozzle based on the first slope.

New composition and methods are provided that include antireflective compositions that can exhibit enhanced etch rates in standard plasma etchants. Preferred antireflective coating compositions of the invention have decreased carbon content relative to prior compositions.

Disclosed is a resin including a structural unit represented by formula (I) and a structural unit represented by formula (a2-A), and a resist composition: ##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; L.sup.1 and L.sup.2 each represent —O— or —S—; s1 represents an integer of 1 to 3; s2 represents an integer of 0 to 3; R.sup.a50 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or an alkyl group which may have a halogen atom; R.sup.a51 represents a halogen atom, a hydroxy group, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an alkylcarbonyl group or the like; A.sup.a50 represents a single bond or *—X.sup.a51-(A.sup.a52-X.sup.a52).sub.nb—; A.sup.a52 represents an alkanediyl group; X.sup.a51 and X.sup.a52 each represent —O—, —CO—O— or —O—CO—; nb represents 0 or 1; and mb represents an integer of 0 to 4.

An object of the present invention is to provide: a compound containing an imide group which is not only cured under film formation conditions of inert gas as well as air and has excellent heat resistance and properties of filling and planarizing a pattern formed on a substrate, but can also form an organic underlayer film with favorable adhesion to a substrate, and a material for forming an organic film containing the compound. A material for forming an organic film, including: (A) a compound for forming an organic film shown by the following general formula (1A); and (B) an organic solvent, ##STR00001## noting that in the general formula (1B), when W.sub.1 represents ##STR00002##  R.sub.1 does not represent any of ##STR00003##

A positive resist composition comprising a base polymer comprising recurring units having a nitrogen-containing tertiary ester structure 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.

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, includes forming a protective layer over substrate having a plurality of protrusions and recesses. The protective layer includes polymer composition including polymer having repeating units of one or more of:

##STR00001##

Wherein a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, and i are each independently H, —OH, —ROH, —R(OH).sub.2, —NH.sub.2, —NHR, —NR.sub.2, —SH, —RSH, or —R(SH).sub.2, wherein at least one of a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, and i on each repeating unit is not H. R, R.sub.1, and R.sub.2 are each independently a C1-C10 alkyl group, a C3-C10 cycloalkyl group, a C1-C10 hydroxyalkyl group, a C2-C10 alkoxy group, a C2-C10 alkoxy alkyl group, a C2-C10 acetyl group, a C3-C10 acetylalkyl group, a C1-C10 carboxyl group, a C2-C10 alkyl carboxyl group, or a C4-C10 cycloalkyl carboxyl group, and n is 2-1000. A resist layer is formed over the protective layer, and the resist layer is patterned.

A method of operating a wet process apparatus, includes dispensing a solution from a nozzle and directing the solution to a bath through an inlet port. A purge gas is injected into the bath to force flow of the solution from the bath to a buffer tank. A condition of the fluid within the buffer tank is monitored with a sensor. The solution is circulated to a pump and then through a filter before returning the solution to the nozzle. Overflow solution is directed out of the bath via an overflow path to a drain for preventing an overflow condition.

A resist composition comprising a base polymer and a quencher in the form of an ammonium salt consisting of an ammonium cation having an iodized aromatic ring bonded to the nitrogen atom via a C.sub.1-C.sub.20 hydrocarbylene group which may contain an ester bond or ether bond and a carboxylate anion having an iodized or brominated hydrocarbyl group offers a high sensitivity and minimal LWR or improved CDU, independent of whether it is of positive or negative tone.