A method for etching a hardmask layer includes forming a photoresist layer comprising an organometallic material on a hardmask layer comprising a metal-containing material, exposing the photoresist layer to ultraviolet radiation through a mask having a selected pattern, removing un-irradiated areas of the photoresist layer to pattern the photoresist layer, forming a passivation layer comprising a carbon-containing material selectively on a top surface of the patterned photoresist layer, and etching the hardmask layer exposed by the patterned photoresist layer having the passivation layer formed thereon.

A method of forming patterns includes coating a metal-containing resist composition on a substrate, sequentially coating two types of compositions for removing edge beads along an edge of the substrate, performing a heat-treatment including drying and heating to form a metal-containing resist film on the substrate, and exposing and developing the metal-containing resist film to form a resist pattern; or coating a metal-containing resist composition on a substrate, coating a composition for removing edge beads along an edge of the substrate, performing a heat-treatment including drying and heating to form a metal-containing resist film on the substrate, exposing the metal-containing resist film, and developing with a developing solution composition to form a resist pattern, wherein details of the two types of compositions for removing edge beads and the developing solution composition are as described in the specification.

Photoresist pattern trimming compositions comprise a polymer, an aromatic sulfonic acid, and an organic-based solvent system, wherein the aromatic sulfonic acid is of general formula (I): ##STR00001##
wherein: Ar.sup.1 represents an aromatic group; R.sup.1 independently represents a halogen atom, hydroxy, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted carbocyclic aryl, substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic aryl, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy, or a combination thereof, wherein adjacent R.sup.1 groups together optionally form a fused ring structure with Ar.sup.1; a represents an integer of 2 or more; and b represents an integer of 1 or more, provided that a+b is at least 3 and is not greater than the total number of available aromatic carbon atoms of Ar.sup.1, and two or more of R.sup.1 are independently a fluorine atom or a fluoroalkyl group bonded directly to an aromatic ring carbon atom.

A method of patterning a substrate includes depositing an overcoat in openings of a relief pattern. The relief pattern includes a solubility-shifting agent and a deprotectable monomer sensitive to the solubility-shifting agent. The overcoat includes another deprotectable monomer sensitive to the solubility-shifting agent. The overcoat has a solubility threshold relative to a predetermined developer that is lower than the solubility threshold of the relief pattern relative to the developer. The method includes activating the solubility-shifting agent to at least reach the solubility threshold of the overcoat without reaching the solubility threshold of the relief pattern, diffusing the solubility-shifting agent a predetermined distance from structures of the relief pattern into the overcoat to form soluble regions in the overcoat, and developing the substrate with the developer to remove the soluble regions of the overcoat. The soluble regions are soluble in the developer while the relief pattern remains insoluble in the developer.

A method includes forming a tri-layer structure over a substrate, in which the tri-layer structure includes a bottom layer, a middle layer over the bottom layer and a photosensitive layer, patterning the photosensitive layer, performing a surface treatment on the patterned photosensitive layer to form a protection layer at least on a sidewall of the patterned photosensitive layer, patterning the middle layer after performing the surface treatment, patterning the bottom layer, and etching the substrate.

Methods for etching nanostructures in a substrate include depositing a patterned block copolymer on the substrate, the patterned block copolymer including first and second polymer block domains, applying a precursor to the patterned block copolymer to generate an infiltrated block copolymer, the precursor infiltrating into the first polymer block domain and generating a material in the first polymer block domain, applying a removal agent to the infiltrated block copolymer to generate a patterned material, the removal agent removing the first and second polymer block domains from the substrate, and etching the substrate, the patterned material on the substrate masking the substrate to pattern the etching. The etching may be performed under conditions to produce nanostructures in the substrate.

A rinse process is described for processing an initially patterned structure formed with an organometallic radiation sensitive material, in which the rinse process can remove portions of the composition remaining after pattern development to make the patterned structure more uniform such that a greater fraction of patterned structures can meet specifications. The radiation sensitive material can comprise alkyl tin oxide hydroxide compositions. The rinsing process can be effectively used to improve patterning of fine structures using extreme ultraviolet light.

A pattern formation method, comprising: (a) providing a semiconductor substrate; (b) forming a photoresist pattern over the semiconductor substrate, wherein the photoresist pattern is formed from a photoresist composition comprising: a first polymer comprising acid labile groups; and a photoacid generator; (c) coating a pattern overcoat composition over the photoresist pattern, wherein the pattern overcoat composition comprises a second polymer and an organic solvent, wherein the organic solvent comprises one or more ester solvents, wherein the ester solvent is of the formula R.sub.1—C(O)O—R.sub.2, wherein R.sub.1 is a C3-C6 alkyl group and R.sub.2 is a C5-C10 alkyl group; (d) baking the coated photoresist pattern; and (e) rinsing the coated photoresist pattern with a rinsing agent to remove the second polymer. The methods find particular applicability in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.

A method of fabricating a film vibration device, including: photoetching a surface of a silicon wafer to form a circular-hole array; etching an aluminum layer on the silicon wafer; etching the silicon wafer to form a through-hole array to obtain a porous silicon wafer; attaching a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet to a side of the porous silicon wafer; ablating the PET sheet to obtain a porous PET film; attaching a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film to a lower side of the porous silicon wafer; performing vacuumization above the porous silicon wafer, while heating the PVDF film below the porous silicon wafer to create dome micro-structures on the PVDF film; and laminating the porous PET film on each of two sides of the PVDF film to obtain the film vibration device. This application also provides a cleaning device having the film vibration device.

Method for manufacturing a master pattern for a mold for a horology component, wherein the method includes manufacturing a first structure from a first photosensitive resin comprising at least one layer of photosensitive resin comprising a first pattern obtained by polymerizing the first photosensitive resin by irradiation through at least one mask, then developing the first photosensitive resin; and transforming the first structure into a second structure by structuring at least one surface of the first structure by the addition of a second photosensitive resin to the at least one surface.