A flexographic printing precursor includes a support and a photopolymerisable layer including a monomer, an initiator and having a thickness between 0.5 mm and 7.0 mm, characterized in that the photopolymerisable layer contains magnetic or magnetisable particles. A method of developing the flexographic printing precursor to obtain a printing element with a relief image using a magnetic field is provided.

A flexographic printing precursor includes a support and a photopolymerisable layer including a monomer, an initiator and having a thickness between 0.5 mm and 7.0 mm, characterized in that the photopolymerisable layer contains magnetic or magnetisable particles. A method of developing the flexographic printing precursor to obtain a printing element with a relief image using a magnetic field is provided.

Methods of depositing a conformal carbon-containing film on an EUV photoresist to reduce line edge roughness (LER) are described. Exemplary processing methods may include flowing a first precursor over a patterned EUV surface to form a first portion of an initial carbon-containing film on the structure. The methods may include removing a first precursor effluent from the patterned EUV photoresist. A second precursor may then be flowed over the patterned EUV photoresist to react with the first portion of the initial carbon-containing film. The methods may include removing a second precursor effluent from the patterned EUV photoresist. The methods may include etching the substrate to remove a portion of the carbon-containing film and expose a top surface of the patterned surface and expose the substrate between the patterned surfaces.

Disclosed herein is a method comprising disposing on a first substrate a two-dimensional exfoliatable material; patterning an exfoliatable material using a photoresist in a manner such that a portion of the photoresist remains in contact with the two-dimensional exfoliatable material after the patterning; disposing a polymer layer on the two-dimensional exfoliatable material to form a printing block; contacting a substrate with the printing block; and removing the polymer layer and the photoresist from the printing block to leave behind the patterned exfoliatable material on the substrate.

A mask blank with phase shift film where changes in transmittance and phase shift to an exposure light of an ArF excimer laser are suppressed. The film transmits light of an ArF excimer laser at a transmittance of 2% or more and less than 10% and generates a phase difference of 150 degrees or more and 190 degrees or less between the exposure light transmitted through the phase shift film and the exposure light transmitted through the air for the same distance as a thickness of the phase shift film. The film has a stacked lower layer and upper layer, the lower layer containing metal and silicon and substantially free of oxygen. The upper layer containing metal, silicon, nitrogen, and oxygen. The lower layer is thinner than the upper layer, and the ratio of metal to metal and silicon of the upper layer is less than the lower layer.

A mask blank with phase shift film where changes in transmittance and phase shift to an exposure light of an ArF excimer laser are suppressed. The film transmits light of an ArF excimer laser at a transmittance of 2% or more and less than 10% and generates a phase difference of 150 degrees or more and 190 degrees or less between the exposure light transmitted through the phase shift film and the exposure light transmitted through the air for the same distance as a thickness of the phase shift film. The film has a stacked lower layer and upper layer, the lower layer containing metal and silicon and substantially free of oxygen. The upper layer containing metal, silicon, nitrogen, and oxygen. The lower layer is thinner than the upper layer, and the ratio of metal to metal and silicon of the upper layer is less than the lower layer.

A pattern forming photo-curing layer is heated, thereby enabling quick shaping. A pattern manufacturing apparatus (100) includes a controller (101), a laser projector (102), and a heater (103). The controller (101) controls the laser projector (102) to form a pattern on a pattern forming sheet (130) placed on a stage (140). The laser projector (102) includes an optical engine (121), and the controller (101) controls the laser projector (102) to irradiate the pattern forming sheet (130) with a light beam from the optical engine (121). The heater (103) heats the pattern forming sheet (130).

A substrate treatment method for performing a treatment for forming a pattern through precursor formation and a condensation reaction of a metal-containing resist, includes: suppressing the precursor formation of a film of the metal-containing resist formed on a substrate on which exposure and a PEB treatment have been performed; and subsequent thereto, improving selectivity of the film by the condensation reaction in the film before the forming the pattern.

A pattern modification method and a patterning process are provided. The method includes extracting a first pattern and a second pattern to be respectively transferred to a first target portion and a second target portion of a resist layer. The method also includes obtaining regional information of the first target portion and the second target portion. The method includes determining a first desired focus position for transferring the first pattern based on the regional information. In addition, the method includes determining a second desired focus position for transferring the second pattern based on the regional information. The method includes modifying one or both of the first pattern and the second pattern. As a result, focus positions of the first pattern and the second pattern are shifted to be substantially and respectively positioned at the first desired focus position and the second desired focus position during an exposure operation.

A pattern modification method and a patterning process are provided. The method includes extracting a first pattern and a second pattern to be respectively transferred to a first target portion and a second target portion of a resist layer. The method also includes obtaining regional information of the first target portion and the second target portion. The method includes determining a first desired focus position for transferring the first pattern based on the regional information. In addition, the method includes determining a second desired focus position for transferring the second pattern based on the regional information. The method includes modifying one or both of the first pattern and the second pattern. As a result, focus positions of the first pattern and the second pattern are shifted to be substantially and respectively positioned at the first desired focus position and the second desired focus position during an exposure operation.