A multi-charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a beam forming mechanism to form multi-charged-particle-beams, a block region forming circuit to form plural block regions from an irradiation region of the multi-charged-particle-beams formed by combining plural sub-regions each surrounded by a beam, being different from each other, and plural other beams adjacent to the beam in the multi-charged-particle-beams, and a writing mechanism to perform, using the multi-charged-particle-beams, multiple writing such that irradiation of each block region of the plural block regions is at least performed by any one of writing processing of the multiple writing, and such that each writing processing of the multiple writing is performed to write a writing region of a target object in a manner of covering the writing region without overlapping by, using one of the plural block regions, irradiation of the one of the plural block regions.

There are provided A pattern formation method, including: (1) forming a film using an active light-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition; (2) exposing the film to active light or radiation; and (3) developing the exposed film using a developer including an organic solvent, wherein the active light-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition contains a resin (A) having specific 3 repeating units.

Lithographic apparatuses suitable for, and methodologies involving, complementary e-beam lithography (CEBL) are described. Particular embodiments are directed to implementation of an underlying absorbing and/or conducting layer for ebeam direct write (EBDW) lithography.

An actinic ray sensitive or radiation sensitive resin composition contains a polymer compound (A) having a phenolic hydroxyl group and satisfying the following (a) and (b), a compound (B) capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with actinic rays or radiation, and a crosslinking agent (C) for crosslinking the polymer compound (A) by the action of an acid and having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 200° C. or higher: (a) the weight-average molecular weight is 3,000 or more and 6,500 or less, and (b) the glass transition temperature (Tg) is 140° C. or higher.

The invention relates to a method for producing a structure in a lithographic material, wherein the structure in the lithographic material is defined by means of a writing beam of an exposure device, in that a plurality of partial structures are written sequentially, wherein for writing the partial structures a write field of the exposure device is displaced and positioned sequentially and that a partial structure is written in the write field in each case, and wherein for positioning of the write field a reference structure is detected by means of an imaging measuring device. For calibration of the write field in the respectively positioned write field, before, during or after writing a partial structure, at least one reference structure element assigned to this partial structure is produced in the lithographic material with the writing beam, wherein the reference structure element after the displacement of the write field is detected by means of the imaging measuring device for writing a further partial structure.

In a resist pattern forming process, a rinse solution comprising (A) a heat/acid-decomposable polymer and (B) an organic solvent is effective. The pattern forming process using the rinse solution is successful in forming fine feature size patterns while minimizing the occurrence of pattern collapse.

The resist composition according to the present invention is a resist composition comprising a solid component comprising a resist base material, and a solvent. In the resist composition according to the present invention, the resist composition contains 1 to 80% by mass of the solid component and 20 to 99% by mass of the solvent, the resist base material comprises a compound (ctt form) represented by a predetermined formula (1) and a compound represented by a predetermined formula (3), the proportion of the compound (ctt form) represented by the predetermined formula (1) to the resist base material is from 65 to 99% by mass, and the mass ratio of the compound represented by the predetermined formula (3) to the compound (ctt form) represented by the predetermined formula (1) is from 0.01 to 0.53.

The present invention provides a conductive polymer composition which contains (A) a polyaniline-based conductive polymer having a repeating unit represented by the general formula (1), (B) a polyanion, and (C) a betaine compound, ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.A1 to R.sup.A4 independently represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a linear, branched, or cyclic monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and optionally containing a heteroatom; and R.sup.A1 and R.sup.A2, or R.sup.A3 and R.sup.A4 may be bonded to each other to form a ring. There can be provided a conductive polymer composition that has excellent antistatic performance and applicability, does not adversely affect a resist, and can be suitably used in lithography using electron beam or the like.

A method for producing a semiconductor device, which includes forming an underlayer film on a semiconductor substrate with a resist underlayer film forming composition that contains a solvent, and a polymer containing a unit structure of Formula (2):
O—Ar.sub.2—O—Ar.sub.3-T-Ar.sub.4  Formula (2)
where Ar.sub.2, Ar.sub.3, and Ar.sub.4 are individually a C.sub.6-50 arylene group or an organic group containing a heterocyclic group; at least one of Ar.sub.3 and Ar.sub.4 is a phenylene group; and T is a carbonyl group. The resist underlayer film forming composition has a solid content of 0.1 to 70 mass % of a total mass of the composition.

A non-chemically-amplified positive resist composition comprising a polymer comprising both recurring units derived from a sulfonium salt capable of generating a fluorinated acid and recurring units containing an amino group as a base resin exhibits a high resolution and a low edge roughness and forms a pattern of good profile after exposure and organic solvent development.