A method of forming patterns includes the steps of providing a substrate having a target layer thereon; forming a plurality of first resist patterns on the target layer; depositing a directed self-assembly (DSA) material layer in a blanket manner on the first resist patterns, wherein the DSA material layer fills up a gap between the first resist patterns; subjecting the DSA material layer to a self-assembling process so as to form repeatedly arranged block copolymer patterns in the DSA material layer; and removing undesired portions from the DSA material layer to form second resist patterns on the target layer.

According to one embodiment, a pattern forming method includes forming a resist pattern on an under-layer, forming a recessed portion in the under-layer by etching the under-layer using the resist pattern as a mask, slimming the resist pattern, forming a neutral layer having an affinity for first and second polymers on a region of the under-layer not covered with the slimmed resist pattern, forming a block copolymer film containing the first polymer and the second polymer on the slimmed resist pattern and the neutral layer, and forming a microphase separation pattern comprising a first portion formed of the first polymer and a second portion formed of the second polymer by applying microphase separation processing to the block copolymer film.

A method of forming a master mold (52), comprising: a) forming a plurality of microstructure portions (42) in a substrate formed of a first material by a first micromachining process, each microstructure portion comprising a shaft (40) and a distal tip (38); b) preparing a negative mold (46) of the plurality of microstructure portions, wherein the mold is formed of a second material and comprises a plurality of cavities (48) corresponding to each microstructure portion in the plurality of microstructure portions (42); c) electroplating a metal (50) onto the negative mold to fill each cavity in the plurality of cavities and to form a base layer (54) extending from the negative mold; d) forming a proximal section (56) for each of the microstructures in the base layer using a second micromachining process (e.g. mechanical micromachining); and e) before or after said step d), removing the negative mold from the metal to form a master mold.

A method for imaging a mask layer includes providing a mask layer, receiving an image file and detecting at least one solid area and at least one halftone area in the image file, imaging an area of the mask layer corresponding to the at least one solid area, using a first imaging setting, wherein prior to or during the imaging a sampling pattern is superimposed on pixels of the at least one solid area, so that only a portion of the pixels of the at least one solid area is imaged, and imaging an area of the mask layer corresponding to said at least one halftone area, using a second imaging setting which is different from the first imaging setting.

A hardmask layer including a cured product of the hardmask composition, and a method of forming patterns that uses the hardmask layer including a cured product of the hardmask composition, the hardmask composition includes a polymer including a structural unit represented by Chemical Formula 1; and a solvent,

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A hardmask layer including a cured product of the hardmask composition, and a method of forming patterns that uses the hardmask layer including a cured product of the hardmask composition, the hardmask composition includes a polymer including a structural unit represented by Chemical Formula 1; and a solvent,

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A method for imaging a mask layer includes reading imaging data for a sequence of at least (C1+C2) pixels, at a first moment, using a group of C1 first imaging beams for imaging substantially simultaneously a first group of C1 pixels of said sequence in accordance with the imaging data, at a second moment, using a group of C2 second imaging beams for imaging substantially simultaneously a second group of C2 pixels of said sequence in accordance with the imaging data, repeating the reading of imaging data, the using of a group of C1 first imaging beams for imaging at a first moment, and the using of a group of C2 second imaging beams for imaging at a second moment for a next sequence of at least (C1+C2) pixels.

Methods, systems, and non-transitory memory media embodying computer readable instructions for minimizing voids in front of a trailing edge of a solid rendition or linework print region printed using a photocurable flexographic printing plate having a printing surface corresponding to information in an image file. At least one solid rendition or linework image region corresponding to the solid rendition or linework print region has a pattern of on and off single pixels that correspond to openings formed by an imager in a mask layer of the plate. Micro-screen openings in an edge region of the solid rendition or linework mask region are imaged with a different size than micro-screen openings in a center region of the solid rendition or linework mask region.

A transition metal cluster compound is capable of realizing fine circuit patterns, a photosensitive composition contains the transition metal cluster compound, and a pattern forming method uses the photosensitive composition. The transition metal cluster compound contains transition metal elements and a ligand represented by the following general formula (1):

##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 is a hydrocarbon chain having one or more carbon atom.

Method and apparatus for improved and efficient spacer assisted lithography-etch-lithography etch (SALELE) processes that utilize a spin-on-material layer, where the spin-on-material layer fills gaps between spacers to protect line-end to line-end spaces created by a cut shape. The method and structures also include a final resist layer with varying critical dimensions (CDs). The use of the spin-on-material enables back end of line (BEOL) metal designs with continuous line-end to line-end spacing above a minimum that can be patterned with a cut mask and spacer only process.