A system and method for depositing a photoresist and utilizing the photoresist are provided. In an embodiment a deposition chamber is utilized along with a first precursor material comprising carbon-carbon double bonds and a second precursor material comprising repeating units to deposit the photoresist onto a substrate. The first precursor material is turned into a plasma in a remote plasma chamber prior to being introduced into the deposition chamber. The resulting photoresist comprises a carbon backbone with carbon-carbon double bonds.

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 composition for forming an upper layer film is applied onto a resist film formed using an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition, and includes a resin X and a compound A having a radical trapping group. A pattern forming method includes applying an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition onto a substrate to form a resist film, applying the composition for forming an upper layer film onto the resist film to form an upper layer film on the resist film, exposing the resist film having the upper layer film formed thereon, and developing the exposed resist film using a developer including an organic solvent to form a pattern.

A photoacid generating polymer (PAG polymer) comprises i) a first repeat unit of capable of reacting with a photogenerated acid to form a carboxylic acid containing repeat unit, ii) a second repeat unit of capable of forming the photogenerated acid, and iii) a third repeat unit comprising a norbornyl ester, wherein a norbornyl ring of the norbornyl ester comprises a monovalent substituent having the formula *-L′-C(CF.sub.3).sub.2(OH). L′ is a divalent linking group comprising at least one carbon and the starred bond of L′ is linked to the norbornyl ring. The first repeat unit, second repeat unit, and the third repeat unit are covalently bound repeat units of the PAG polymer.

A salt having formula (1) or (2) serving as an acid diffusion inhibitor is provided as well as a resist composition comprising the acid diffusion inhibitor. When processed by lithography, the resist composition exhibits a high sensitivity, and excellent lithography properties such as CDU and LWR.

##STR00001##

Disclosed is a substrate treating apparatus including a support unit that supports and rotates a substrate, a heating unit including a laser irradiator that irradiates laser light in a pattern formed in the substrate, a movement module that changes a location of the laser irradiator by moving the heating unit, and a controller that controls the support unit and the heating unit, the movement module moves the heating unit between a heating location, at which the laser light is irradiated to the substrate, and a standby location that deviates from the substrate, and the movement module rotates and linearly moves the heating unit.

Provided is a negative resist pattern-forming method that enables a resist pattern with fewer development defects to be formed while favorable water repellency of the surface of the upper layer film is maintained. A negative resist pattern-forming method includes the steps of: forming a resist film using a radiation-sensitive resin composition; forming an upper layer film on one face of the resist film using a composition for upper layer film formation; subjecting the resist film having the upper layer film formed thereon to liquid immersion lithography; and developing the resist film subjected to the liquid immersion lithography with a developer solution containing an organic solvent, wherein at least one of the radiation-sensitive resin composition and the composition for upper layer film formation contains a fluorine atom.

A radiation-sensitive resin composition comprises: a polymer, and a radiation-sensitive acid generator. The polymer comprises a structural unit comprising: an acid-labile group; and an oxoacid group or phenolic hydroxyl group protected by the acid-labile group. The acid-labile group is represented by formula (1). R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each independently represent a divalent organic group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms. R.sup.3 represents a monovalent group having 1 to 40 atoms and having at least one selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom and a nitrogen atom. * denotes a binding site to the oxy group in the oxoacid group or phenolic hydroxyl group protected.

##STR00001##

A novel sulfonium compound of formula (A) and a chemically amplified resist composition comprising the same as a PAG are provided. When processed by photolithography using KrF or ArF excimer laser, EB or EUV, the resist composition has a high sensitivity and reduced acid diffusion and is improved in lithography properties. ##STR00001##

Disclosed are a buffer unit, in which a plurality of support plates is stacked in a vertical direction and a connection block is provided between the plurality of support plates to prevent vibration generated at the lower end of the support plate from being transmitted from the upper support plate, and a substrate treating apparatus. According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the vibration generated in the buffer unit, so that there is an effect of improving the efficiency of the substrate treating process.