Alternating copolymers having hydrocarbon-substituted terminal units and repeat units each containing two different monomer units with extreme ultraviolet (EUV)-absorbing elements are disclosed. Alternating copolymers having organic terminal units and repeat units each containing a monomer unit with an EUV-absorbing element and an organic monomer unit are also disclosed. A process of forming a polymer resist, which includes providing an alternating copolymer having repeat units with at least one EUV-absorbing monomer unit and replacing end groups of the alternating copolymer with unreactive terminal units, is disclosed as well.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is as below. An exposed photoresist layer is developed using a developer supplied by a developer supplying unit. An ammonia gas by-product of the developer is discharged through a gas outlet of the developer supplying unit into a treating tool. The ammonia gas by-product is retained in the treating tool. A concentration of the ammonia gas by-product is monitored.

A radiation-sensitive resin composition includes a polymer and a compound. The compound includes a first structural unit including an aromatic carbon ring to which no less than two hydroxy groups bond, and a second structural unit including an acid-labile group which is dissociable by an action of an acid to give a carboxy group. The compound is represented by formula (1). R.sup.1 represents a monovalent organic group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms; and X represents a monovalent radiation-sensitive onium cation. A weight average molecular weight of the polymer is no greater than 10,000.

R.sup.1—COO.sup.−X.sup.+(1)

There is provided a conductive composite having excellent conductivity and able to form a conductive film with which film loss in a resist layer is low. The conductive composite of the present invention includes a conductive polymer and a surfactant. When a critical micelle concentration of the surfactant is less than 0.1% by mass, a content of the surfactant is 5 parts by mass or more with respect to 100 parts by mass of the conductive polymer. In addition, when the critical micelle concentration of the surfactant is 0.1% by mass or more, the content of the surfactant is more than 100 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the conductive polymer.

A method for producing a resin having a repeating unit that is decomposed by irradiation of an actinic ray or a radiation to generate acid, the method including polymerizing a specific compound represented by General formula (P-1) and a copolymerizable monomer compound, a method for producing an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition, a pattern forming method, and a resin corresponding to a reaction intermediate of the resin.

A resist composition comprising a base polymer and a sulfonium or iodonium salt of a fluorinated sulfonic acid having a phenylene group which is substituted with an iodized phenyl-containing group and a nitro group is provided. The resist composition has a high sensitivity and forms a pattern with improved LWR or CDU, independent of whether it is of positive or negative tone.

The present invention provides a resin composition which is highly sensitive and exhibits high chemical resistance even in the case of being baked at a low temperature of 250° C. or less and can suppress the generation of outgas after curing. The present invention is a resin composition which contains (a) an alkali-soluble resin containing polyimide, polybenzoxazole, polyamide-imide, a precursor of any one of these compounds and/or a copolymer of these compounds and (b) an alkali-soluble resin having a monovalent or divalent group represented by the following general formula (1) in a structural unit and in which the modification rate of a phenolic hydroxyl group in the alkali-soluble resin (b) is 5% to 50%. ##STR00001##
(In general formula (1), O represents an oxygen atom. R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group which has 1 to 20 carbon atoms and may be substituted and R.sup.2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms. s and t each independently represent an integer from 0 to 3. Provided that (s+t)≥1. d represents an integer from 0 to 2. u represents an integer from 1 to 2, and * represents a chemical bond.)

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a lithography apparatus, patterning system, and method of patterning a layered structure. The patterning system includes an image formation device and a reactive layer. The patterning system allows for creating lithography patterns in a single operation. The lithography apparatus includes the patterning system and an optical system. The lithography apparatus uses a plurality of wavelengths of light, along with the image formation device, to create a plurality of color patterns on the reactive layer. The method of patterning includes exposing the reactive layer to a plurality of wavelengths of light. The light reacts differently with different regions of the reactive layer, depending on the wavelength of light emitted onto the different regions. The method and apparatuses disclosed herein require only one image formation device and one lithography operation.

Provided are a salt capable of producing a resist pattern with satisfactory CD Uniformity (CDU), an acid generator, and a resist composition. Disclosed are a salt represented by formula (I), an acid generator, and a resist composition:

##STR00001##

wherein, in formula (I), R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, R.sup.7, R.sup.8 and R.sup.9 each represent a halogen atom, a haloalkyl group, etc.; A.sup.1, A.sup.2 and A.sup.3 each represent a hydrocarbon group, etc.; m1 and m4, m5, m6 and m7 represent an integer of 0 to 5, m2, m3, m8 and m9 represent an integer of 0 to 4, 0≤m1+m7≤5, 0≤m2+m8≤4, 0≤m3+m9≤4, and at least one of m1, m2 and m3 represents an integer of 1 or more; X.sup.4 represents a single bond, —CH.sub.2—, —O—, —S—, —CO—, —SO— or —SO.sub.2—; and AI.sup.− represents an organic anion.

A positive resist composition comprising a base polymer comprising recurring units (a) having the structure of an ammonium salt of a carboxylic acid having an iodized or brominated aromatic ring exhibits a high sensitivity, high resolution, low edge roughness (LER, LWR) and small size variation, and forms a pattern of good profile after exposure and development.