An object of the present invention is to provide an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition with which a pattern thus formed has excellent LER and collapse suppressing ability. Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide a resist film, a pattern forming method, a method for manufacturing an electronic device, each using the actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition. In addition, still another object of the present invention is to provide a resin which can be used in the actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition.

The actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition of the present invention is an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition including a compound that generates an acid upon irradiation with actinic rays or radiation, and a resin whose polarity increases by the action of an acid, in which the resin includes a repeating unit represented by General Formula (B-1), and a content of the repeating unit represented by General Formula (B-1) is 5% to 70% by mass with respect to all the repeating units in the resin. In General Formula (B-1), R.sub.1 represents a hydrogen atom or an organic group, the Ring W1 represents a ring which includes at least one carbon atom and one nitrogen atom, and may have a substituent

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Embodiments in accordance with the present invention encompass photosensitive compositions containing a base soluble polymer, a latent base catalyst, a photoactive compound and an epoxy crosslinking agent. The compositions are useful for forming films that can be patterned to create structures for microelectronic devices, microelectronic packaging, microelectromechanical systems, optoelectronic devices and displays. In some embodiments the compositions of this invention are shown to feature excellent hitherto unachievable mechanical properties. More specifically, the compositions exhibit increased photo speed, higher elongation to break, higher tensile strength and higher glass transitions temperatures than the conventional compositions, among other enhanced properties. Accordingly, the positive images formed therefrom exhibit improved thermo-mechanical properties, among other property enhancements.

The present disclosure provides a method for lithography patterning in accordance with some embodiments. The method includes forming a photoresist layer over a substrate. The photoresist layer includes at least an acid labile group (ALG) and a thermo-base generator (TBG). The method further includes exposing a portion of the photoresist layer to a radiation and performing a baking process after the exposing of the portion of the photoresist layer. The TBG releases a base during the performing of the baking process, resulting in a chemical reaction between the ALG and the base. The method further includes removing an unexposed portion of the photoresist layer, resulting in a patterned photoresist layer.

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention encompass self-imageable polymer compositions containing a variety of photobase generators which are useful for forming films that can be patterned to create structures for microelectronic devices, microelectronic packaging, microelectromechanical systems, optoelectronic devices and displays. The compositions of this invention can be tailored to form positive tone or negative tone images depending upon the intended application in aqueous developable medium. The images formed therefrom exhibit improved properties including low wafer stress and better thermo-mechanical properties, among other property enhancements.

A resist composition comprising a base polymer and a sulfonium or iodonium salt of sulfonic acid containing a morpholino group offers dimensional stability on PPD and a satisfactory resolution.

Various vinyl addition polymers of nadic anhydride are disclosed. Examples of such polymers include copolymers and terpolymers of nadic anhydride with a wide variety of norbornene-type monomers. The nadic anhydride polymers are found to be useful in forming a wide variety of photosensitive compositions, both positive and negative, which are capable of forming high resolution imagable films exhibiting excellent dielectric properties (low-k) and thermal properties, and thus are useful in the fabrication of a variety of microelectronic and optoelectronic devices, among others.

A novel sulfonium compound has formula (A). A positive resist composition comprising a polymer and a quencher containing the sulfonium compound is improved in resolution and LER during pattern formation and has storage stability. In formula (A), R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 are independently a C.sub.1-C.sub.20 monovalent hydrocarbon group, p is an integer of 0-5, q is an integer of 0-5, and r is an integer of 0-4.

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Disclosed are photosensitive resin compositions capable of forming positive resin films with excellent heat shape retention. The photosensitive resin compositions comprises a polymer having a monomer unit represented by the following general formula (I) and a polyamideimide:

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where R.sup.1 is a single chemical bond or a divalent C1-C6 hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent, and R.sup.2 is a hydrogen or a monovalent C1-C6 hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent.

A composition for resist underlayer film formation contains: a compound having a partial structure represented by the following formula (1); and a solvent. In the formula (1): X represents a group represented by formula (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv). In the formula (i): R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms provided that at least one of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 represents the substituted or unsubstituted monovalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or the substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms; or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 taken together represent a part of a ring structure having 3 to 20 ring atoms together with the carbon atom to which R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 bond.

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The present disclosure provides a method for lithography patterning in accordance with some embodiments. The method includes forming a resist layer over a substrate and performing an exposing process to the resist layer. The resist layer includes a polymer backbone, an acid labile group (ALG) bonded to the polymer backbone, a sensitizer bonded to the polymer backbone, a photo-acid generator (PAG), and a thermo-base generator (TBG). The method further includes baking the resist layer at a first temperature and subsequently at a second temperature. The second temperature is higher than the first temperature. The method further includes developing the resist layer in a developer, thereby forming a patterned resist layer.