A photoresist composition, including an acid-sensitive polymer and photoacid generator compound having Formula (I):

##STR00001##

wherein, EWG, Y, R, and M.sup.+ are the same as described in the specification.

An apparatus for monitoring particles in a chemical solution includes a chemical solution supply device that stores a chemical solution and supplies the chemical solution according to a work start signal of a control unit, a first supply channel that is connected with the chemical solution supply device to supply the chemical solution, a filter that is connected with the first supply channel to purify the chemical solution, a branch channel and a main channel that are branched from the filter, a drain valve that is connected with the branch channel to open and close the branch channel, a particle monitor that is connected with the main channel to detect the amount of particles in the chemical solution, and a dispenser unit that receives the chemical solution from the particle monitor to supply the chemical solution to an object to be worked.

An object of the present invention is to provide a solution which contains an organic solvent as a main component (content: equal to or greater than 98% by mass) and has an excellent defect inhibition ability. Another object of the present invention is to provide a solution storage body storing the solution, an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition containing the solution, and a pattern forming method and a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device using the solution. The solution of the present invention is a solution containing at least one kind of organic solvent having a boiling point lower than 200° C. and an organic impurity having a boiling point equal to or higher than 250° C., in which a content of the organic solvent with respect to a total mass of the solution is equal to or greater than 98% by mass, and a content of the organic impurity with respect to the total mass of the solution is equal to or greater than 0.1 mass ppm and less than 100 mass ppm.

A substrate processing method includes a preprocessing forming step of forming a preprocessing film on a surface of a substrate having the surface on which a first region and a second region in which different substances are exposed are present, a preprocessing film separating step of separating the preprocessing film from the surface of the substrate with a stripping liquid, a processing film forming step of forming a processing film on the surface of the substrate after the preprocessing film separating step, and a processing film separating step of separating the processing film from the surface of the substrate with the stripping liquid. A removal capacity for the processing film to remove the first removal target present in the second region is higher than a removal capacity for the preprocessing film to remove the first removal target present in the second region, and a removal capacity for the preprocessing film to remove the first removal target present in the first region is higher than a removal capacity for the processing film to remove the first removal target present in the first region.

A substrate treatment method for treating a substrate, includes: (a) applying a coating solution to a front surface of the substrate by a spin coating method to form a coating film; (b) supplying a solvent for the coating solution to a projection of the coating film formed at a front surface peripheral edge of the substrate at (a); and (c) rotating the substrate in a state where the supply of the solvent is stopped, to move a top of the projection to an outside in a radial direction of the substrate. (b) and (c) are repeatedly performed. The projection is a buildup of the coating solution protruding from the coating film.

Provided is a compound that can be used as a base resin for a photosensitive resin composition. The photosensitive resin can form a fine pattern and can achieve high resolution without impairing mechanical strength and solubility. The compound is represented by the general formula (1): ##STR00001##
wherein Z represents a linear, branched or cyclic divalent hydrocarbon group having 2 to 30 carbon atoms; X.sup.1 to X.sup.3 represent any of —CO.sub.2—, —CONR.sup.X1—, —O—, —NR.sup.X1—, —S—, —SO.sub.2—, —SO.sub.3— and —SO.sub.2NR.sup.X1— and may be the same as or different from each other, provided that R.sup.X1 is a hydrogen atom or a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms; Ar represents a divalent aromatic group having 2 to 30 carbon atoms; L.sup.1 and L.sup.2 independently represent a divalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms; and x and y are each independently 0 or 1.

A system and/or method for coating a substrate. The system may include a chuck for holding and rotating the substrate, a dispensing subsystem for dispensing a coating material onto the substrate, and a shield member. The shield member may be movable towards and away from the substrate during the coating procedure. The shield member may have an inverted funnel shape. The shield member may include a central chamber through which a solvent vapor flows and a peripheral chamber that is fluidly separated from the central chamber through which a gas flows. During a coating procedure, the shield member may be moved very close to the substrate and the solvent vapor and gas may flow onto the substrate to create a solvent rich ambient around the substrate and prevent aerosols of the coating material from redepositing onto the substrate after being flung off due to spinning of the substrate.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a protective layer over a substrate. The hydrophilicity of the protective layer is reduced. A resist layer is formed over the protective layer, and the resist layer is patterned.

A quantum dot-polymer composite film includes: a plurality of quantum dots, wherein a quantum dot of the plurality of quantum dots includes an organic ligand on a surface of a the quantum dot; a cured product of a photopolymerizable monomer including a carbon-carbon unsaturated bond; and a residue including a residue of a high-boiling point solvent, a residue of a polyvalent metal compound, or a combination thereof.

The present invention relates to a resist composition, especially for use in the production of electronic components via electron beam lithography. In addition to the usual base polymeric component (resist polymer), a secondary electron generator is included in resist compositions of the invention in order to promote secondary electron generation. This unique combination of components increases the exposure sensitivity of resists in a controlled fashion which facilitates the effective production of high-resolution patterned substrates (and consequential electronic components), but at much higher write speeds.