A hardmask composition, including a hardmask layer including a cured product of the hardmask composition, and a method of forming patterns using the hardmask layer including a cured product of the hardmask composition, the hardmask composition including a compound represented by Chemical Formula 1; and a solvent.

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A substrate processing method and apparatus to create a sacrificial masking layer is disclosed. The layer is created by providing a first precursor selected to react with one of a radiation modified and unmodified layer portion and to not react with the other one of the radiation modified and unmodified layer portion on a substrate in a reaction chamber to selectively grow the sacrificial masking layer.

A substrate processing method and apparatus to create a sacrificial masking layer is disclosed. The layer is created by providing a first precursor selected to react with one of a radiation modified and unmodified layer portion and to not react with the other one of the radiation modified and unmodified layer portion on a substrate in a reaction chamber to selectively grow the sacrificial masking layer.

Methods for using high-speed EUV resists including resists having additives that may be detrimental to etch chambers. Methods include using reversal materials and/or reversal techniques, as well as diffusion-limited etch-back and slimming for pattern creation and transfer. A substrate with high-speed EUV resist is lithographically patterned and developed into a patterned resist mask. An image reversal material is then over-coated on the patterned resist mask such that the image reversal material fills and covers the patterned resist mask. An upper portion of the image reversal material is removed such that top surfaces of the patterned resist mask are exposed. The patterned resist mask is removed such that the image reversal material remains resulting in a patterned image reversal material mask. Residual resist material is removed via a slimming process using an acid diffusion and subsequent development.

It is an object of the present invention to form a resist film that is highly sensitive and enables high-resolution patterning. The present invention relates to a resist material that comprises a polymer comprising a unit derived from a structure represented by the following formula (101). In the formula (101), R.sup.1 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group optionally having a substituent, an acyl group optionally having a substituent, an allyl group optionally having a substituent, an alkoxy group optionally having a substituent, or an alkylsilyl group optionally having a substituent, and a plurality of R.sup.1 may be the same or different. R.sup.11 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group optionally having a substituent. R.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, or a halogenated alkyl group; and Y.sup.1 represents a single bond or a linking group. ##STR00001##

Embodiments described herein relate to a method for developing an exposed resist layer that includes an exposed region and an unexposed region. In an embodiment, the method includes applying a first treatment to the resist layer, where the first treatment is a silylation process. In an embodiment, the method further includes applying a second treatment to the resist layer, where the second treatment is different than the first treatment. In an embodiment, the method further includes developing the resist layer.

A method includes depositing an overcoat in openings of a relief pattern supported by a substrate. The relief pattern includes a solubility-shifting agent. The overcoat and the relief pattern have different solubility-shifting mechanisms. The method further includes generating a catalyst by activating the solubility-shifting agent and diffusing the catalyst a predetermined distance from structures of the relief pattern into the overcoat to form soluble regions in the overcoat. The soluble regions is soluble in a predetermined developer while the relief pattern remains insoluble in the predetermined developer. The method further includes developing the substrate with the predetermined developer to remove the soluble regions of the overcoat.

Various embodiments herein relate to methods, apparatus, and systems for baking metal-containing on a semiconductor substrate in the presence of a reactive gas species. For example, the method may include receiving the substrate in a process chamber, the substrate having a photoresist layer thereon, where the photoresist layer includes a metal-containing photoresist material; flowing a reactive gas species from a gas source, through a gas delivery line, into the process chamber, and exposing the substrate to the reactive gas species in the process chamber; and baking the photoresist layer while the substrate is exposed to the reactive gas species.

A patterning method includes an infiltration operation and an etching operation. The infiltration operation includes infiltrating, into a photoresist film, a material for increasing a selectivity of an exposed portion and an unexposed portion formed by exposure on the photoresist film provided on a surface of a substrate, and the etching operation includes dry-etching the photoresist film on which the infiltration operation has been performed.

Disclosed herein is a method including forming a first layer of a dielectric precursor composition on a substrate, the dielectric precursor composition including a silicon-containing polymeric resin, a catalyst capable of catalyzing condensation reaction of silicon-containing polymeric resin, and a photoacid generator, wherein the catalyst is deactivated by the presence of acid; exposing a portion the first layer of the dielectric precursor composition to radiation in a first image-wise manner to generate acid in the portion exposed to the radiation; heating the exposed first layer to form a cured dielectric resin in a portion of the first layer not exposed to the radiation; after heating, removing the dielectric precursor composition in the portion exposed to radiation; and filling the portion where the dielectric precursor has been removed with a metal. After cure, the cured resin of the dielectric precursor composition may include greater than 42 weight percent elemental silicon.