Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a multilayer stack used as a mask in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography and methods for forming a multilayer stack. In one embodiment, the method includes forming a carbon layer over a film stack, forming a metal rich oxide layer on the carbon layer by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, forming a metal oxide photoresist layer on the metal rich oxide layer, and patterning the metal oxide photoresist layer. The metal oxide photoresist layer is different from the metal rich oxide layer and is formed by a process different from the PVD process. The metal rich oxide layer formed by the PVD process improves adhesion of the metal oxide photoresist layer and increases the secondary electrons during EUV lithography, which leads to decreased EUV dose energies.

A protective film-forming composition excelling in preservation stability and having a favorable masking (protection) function against wet etching solutions when processing a semiconductor substrate, a protective film manufactured by using the composition, a substrate with a resist pattern, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The protective film-forming composition provides protection against wet etching solutions for semiconductors and contains: a polymer having a unit structure represented by Formula (1-1): Ar represents a benzene ring, a naphthalene ring, or an anthracene ring; R.sup.1 represents a hydroxy group, a mercapto group; n1 represents an integer from 0-3; n2 represents 1 or 2; L.sup.1 represents a single bond or an alkylene group that has 1-10 carbons; E represents an epoxy group; when n2=1, T.sup.1 represents an alkylene group that has 1-10 carbons; and when n2=2, T.sup.1 represents a nitrogen atom or an amide bond.

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A method of forming a mask includes forming a base film containing a treatment agent on an object, forming a photosensitive organic film on the base film, forming an infiltrated portion by infiltrating the treatment agent into a lower portion of the photosensitive organic film, selectively exposing the photosensitive organic film to form a first region soluble in an alkaline solution and a second region insoluble in the alkaline solution, forming a third region insoluble in the alkaline solution in the infiltrated portion in the first region by causing a reaction between the first region and the treatment agent, developing the photosensitive organic film to remove a fourth region that is in the first region and other than the third region while leaving intact the second region and the third region, and etching the photosensitive organic film to remove one of the second region and the third region.

The present invention relates to a hardmask composition including a compound represented by Chemical Formula 1 and a solvent, a hardmask layer including a cured product of the hardmask composition, and a pattern forming method using the hardmask composition.

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In Chemical Formula 1, the definitions of A, R.sup.1 to R.sup.5, and n are as described in the specification.

A composition for forming a resist underlayer film exhibits strong etching resistance, has a good dry etching rate ratio and a good optical constant, and is capable of forming a film that provides good coverage over a so-called multilevel substrate and that is flat with reduced difference in thickness after embedding. A resist underlayer film uses said composition for forming a resist underlayer film; and a method for producing a semiconductor device. The composition for forming a resist underlayer film contains: a polymer having the partial structure represented by formula (1); and a solvent. (In the formula, Ar represents an optionally substituted C6-20 aromatic group.)

A patterning stack is provided. The patterning stack includes a bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) layer over a substrate, a photoresist layer having a first etching resistance over the BARC layer, and a top coating layer having a second etching resistance greater than the first etching resistance over the photoresist layer. The top coating layer includes a polymer having a polymer backbone including at least one functional unit of high etching resistance and one or more acid labile groups attached to the polymer backbone or a silicon cage compound.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a first layer of a first planarizing material over a patterned surface of a substrate, forming a second layer of a second planarizing material over the first planarizing layer, crosslinking a portion of the first planarizing material and a portion of the second planarizing material, and removing a portion of the second planarizing material that is not crosslinked. In an embodiment, the method further includes forming a third layer of a third planarizing material over the second planarizing material after removing the portion of the second planarizing material that is not crosslinked. The third planarizing material can include a bottom anti-reflective coating or a spin-on carbon, and an acid or an acid generator. The first planarizing material can include a spin-on carbon, and an acid, a thermal acid generator or a photoacid generator.

A substrate is provided with a patterned layer, such as, a photo resist layer which may exhibit line roughness. The patterned layer may be an EUV photo resist layer utilized in a self-aligned multi-patterning process. A tone inversion process having a tone inversion layer is utilized along with a surface treatment of a sidewall of the tone inversion layer so as to improve line roughness characteristics of the process. More specifically, a tone inversion layer may be patterned and then sidewalls of the tone inversion layer may be treated. A fill material may then be deposited upon the substrate including adjacent the sidewalls of the tone inversion layer. When the tone inversion layer is removed, the roughness of the fill material will be reduced due to the use of the sidewall treatment.

The present invention provides a resist underlayer film material used in a multilayer resist method, the material containing: (A) a resin having a structural unit shown by the following general formula (1); and (B) an organic solvent. The resin content is 20 mass % or more. This provides: a resist underlayer film material having excellent filling property and adhesiveness, and favorable planarizing property; and a patterning process and a method for forming a resist underlayer film which use the material.

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A material for forming a filling film for inhibiting semiconductor substrate pattern collapse contains: (A) a polymer having a structural unit shown by the following general formula (1); (B) a residual-solvent removal promoter containing a compound shown by the following general formula (2); and (C) an organic solvent. A ratio Mw/Mn of a weight-average molecular weight Mw and a number-average molecular weight Mn of the polymer (A) in terms of polystyrene by a gel permeation chromatography method is 2.50≤Mw/Mn≤9.00. The residual-solvent removal promoter (B) is contained in an amount of 0.1 to 40 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the polymer (A). The material for forming a filling film for inhibiting semiconductor substrate pattern collapse contains no acid generator.

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