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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In an embodiment, a method includes: forming a gate dielectric layer on an interface layer; forming a doping layer on the gate dielectric layer, the doping layer including a dipole-inducing element; annealing the doping layer to drive the dipole-inducing element through the gate dielectric layer to a first side of the gate dielectric layer adjacent the interface layer; removing the doping layer; forming a sacrificial layer on the gate dielectric layer, a material of the sacrificial layer reacting with residual dipole-inducing elements at a second side of the gate dielectric layer adjacent the sacrificial layer; removing the sacrificial layer; forming a capping layer on the gate dielectric layer; and forming a gate electrode layer on the capping layer.

In a pattern formation method, a photo resist pattern is formed over a target layer to be patterned. An extension material layer is formed on the photo resist pattern. The target layer is patterned by using at least the extension material layer as an etching mask.

A method for processing a substrate for processing a substrate includes: (a) providing a substrate having an etching region and a patterned region on the etching region; (b) forming an organic film on a surface of the substrate; and (c) etching the etching region using plasma generated from a processing gas through the patterned region. The step (b) includes (b1) supplying a first gas containing an organic compound to the substrate to form a precursor layer on the substrate, and (b2) supplying a second gas containing a modifying gas to the substrate and supplying energy to the precursor layer and/or the second gas to modify the precursor layer.

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.

The present disclosure provides a technique capable of controlling a shape of an SAM. Provided is a method of forming a target film on a substrate, wherein the method includes preparing a substrate including a layer of a first conductive material formed on a surface of a first region, and a layer of an insulating material formed on a surface of a second region; forming carbon nanotubes on a surface of the layer of the first conductive material; and supplying a raw material gas for a self-assembled film to form the self-assembled film in a region of the surface of the layer of the first conductive material in which the carbon nanotubes have not been formed.

A hardmask-forming compound, a hardmask composition, and a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit (IC), the hardmask-forming compound including a moiety represented by Formula 1:

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A system and method for depositing a photoresist and utilizing the photoresist are provided. In an embodiment a deposition chamber is utilized along with a first precursor material comprising carbon-carbon double bonds and a second precursor material comprising repeating units to deposit the photoresist onto a substrate. The first precursor material is turned into a plasma in a remote plasma chamber prior to being introduced into the deposition chamber. The resulting photoresist comprises a carbon backbone with carbon-carbon double bonds.

Aspects of the disclosure include method of making semiconductor structures. Aspects include providing a semiconductor structure including a plurality of spacer, an organic planarization layer, and a SiARC layer. Aspects also include forming an inverted mask on the semiconductor structure, the inverted mask including an inverted mask opening above a portion of the plurality of spacers and a portion of the TiN layer. Aspects also include eroding the portion of the plurality of spacers below the inverted mask opening. Aspects also include depositing a fill material masking the portion of the plurality of spacers below the inverted mask opening and the portion of the TiN layer below the inverted mask opening to generate a masked TiN layer segment and an unmasked TiN layer segment and removing a portion of the unmasked TiN layer segment.

A method of forming an imprint template. A hard mask layer is formed at a first side first side of a template plate. An imprint lithography is performed to form a patterned hard mask covering the first region, the patterned hard mask having a pattern portion and an edge portion defined in the same imprint lithography. The template plate is dry etched with the first region of the template plate covered with the patterned hard mask. An additional mask layer is formed on the patterned hard mask. A wet etch process is performed with both the patterned hard mask and the additional mask layer formed on the template plate to form a mesa under the pattern portion with the edge portion of the hard mask overhanging on the second region of the template plate.