A hydrogel material composition includes: (1) an alginate (or other cross-linking polymer) material; (2) an optional α-hydroxy carboxylate material; and (3) an iron cation material. The hydrogel material composition with or without the α-hydroxy-carboxylate material may be used in a photolithographic imaging application or a photorelease application within the context of a photoirradiation induced reduction/oxidation reaction of an iron (III) cation material to form an iron (II) cation material.

Provided is a method of making a circuit pattern. The method includes: Step (A): providing a master substrate comprising a first photosensitive layer containing photosensitive particles; Step (B): providing an energy beam to reduce metal ions in a predetermined area of the first photosensitive layer to form multiple first metal particles; Step (C): removing unreduced photosensitive particles by a fixer to obtain a master mask; wherein the first metal particles form a first predetermined pattern in the master mask; Step (D): providing a chip comprising a second photosensitive layer containing second photosensitive particles; Step (E): putting the master mask on the second photosensitive layer and providing an energy beam to reduce metal ions of an uncovered part of the second photosensitive layer to form multiple atomized second metal particles; Step (F): removing unreduced photosensitive particles by a fixer to obtain the circuit pattern having line spacing at picoscopic/nanoscopic scale.

Vacuum-integrated photoresist-less methods and apparatuses for forming metal hardmasks can provide sub-30 nm patterning resolution. A metal-containing (e.g., metal salt or organometallic compound) film that is sensitive to a patterning agent is deposited on a semiconductor substrate. The metal-containing film is then patterned directly (i.e., without the use of a photoresist) by exposure to the patterning agent in a vacuum ambient to form the metal mask. For example, the metal-containing film is photosensitive and the patterning is conducted using sub-30 nm wavelength optical lithography, such as EUV lithography.

Imaging layers on the surface of a substrate may be patterned using next generation lithographic techniques, and the resulting patterned film may be used as a lithographic mask, for example, for production of a semiconductor device.

Method of forming pattern in photoresist layer includes forming photoresist layer over substrate, selectively exposing photoresist layer to actinic radiation forming latent pattern. Latent pattern is developed by applying developer to form pattern. Photoresist layer includes photoresist composition including polymer:

##STR00001##

A.sub.1, A.sub.2, L are direct bond, C4-C30 aromatic, C4-C30 alkyl, C4-C30 cycloalkyl, C4-C30 hydroxylalkyl, C4-C30 alkoxy, C4-C30 alkoxyl alkyl, C4-C30 acetyl, C4-C30 acetylalkyl, C4-C30 alkyl carboxyl, C4-C30 cycloalkyl carboxyl, C4-C30 hydrocarbon ring, C4-C30 heterocyclic, —COO—, A1 and A2 are not both direct bonds, and are unsubstituted or substituted with a halogen, carbonyl, or hydroxyl; A.sub.3 is C6-C14 aromatic, wherein A.sub.3 is unsubstituted or substituted with halogen, carbonyl, or hydroxyl; R.sub.1 is acid labile group; Ra, Rb are H or C1-C3 alkyl; R.sub.f is direct bond or C1-C5 fluorocarbon; PAG is photoacid generator; 0≤x/(x+y+z)≤1, 0≤y/(x+y+z)≤1, and 0≤z/(x+y+z)≤1.

A metal oxide photosensitive resin composition for forming a blue pattern layer includes scattering particles including a metal oxide having an average particle diameter of 30 to 300 nm, provided that the metal oxide photosensitive resin composition does not include quantum dots.

Techniques, structures, and materials related to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography are discussed. Multiple patterning inclusive of first patterning a grating of parallel lines and second patterning utilizing EUV lithography to form plugs in the grating, and optional trimming of the plugs may be employed. EUV resists, surface treatments, resist additives, and optional processing inclusive of plug healing, angled etch processing, electric field enhanced post exposure bake are described, which provide improved processing reliability, feature definition, and critical dimensions.

A resist composition containing a metal compound and a polymer. A structure of the metal compound is changed upon exposure, and the metal compound exhibits changed solubility in a developing solution. The polymer segregates on a surface of a resist film in a case where the resist film is formed using the resist composition. The metal compound contains a metal ion of a metal atom of Group 3 to Group 16 in the long periodic table or a metal oxide of the metal atom, and a bonder that is bonded to the metal ion or the metal oxide. The content of the metal atom contained in the metal ion or the metal oxide is in a range of 0.2% to 3% by mass with respect to a total mass of the resist composition.

A photosensitive composition including a quantum dot; a binder polymer including a carboxylic acid group; a photopolymerizable monomer including a carbon-carbon double bond; and a photoinitiator, a patterned film produced therefrom and a display device including the same. The quantum dot includes a seed including a first semiconductor nanocrystal, a quantum well including a second semiconductor nanocrystal, the quantum well surrounding the seed and a shell disposed on the quantum well, the shell including a third semiconductor nanocrystal and not including cadmium, the second semiconductor nanocrystal has a different composition from each of the first semiconductor nanocrystal and the third semiconductor nanocrystal, and an energy bandgap of the second semiconductor nanocrystal is smaller than an energy bandgap of the first semiconductor nanocrystal and an energy bandgap of the third semiconductor nanocrystal.

Vacuum-integrated photoresist-less methods and apparatuses for forming metal hardmasks can provide sub-30 nm patterning resolution. A metal-containing (e.g., metal salt or organometallic compound) film that is sensitive to a patterning agent is deposited on a semiconductor substrate. The metal-containing film is then patterned directly (i.e., without the use of a photoresist) by exposure to the patterning agent in a vacuum ambient to form the metal mask. For example, the metal-containing film is photosensitive and the patterning is conducted using sub-30 nm wavelength optical lithography, such as EUV lithography.