A lithographic apparatus comprising a substrate storage module having a controllable environment for protecting lithographically exposed substrates from ambient air. The substrate storage module is configured to store at least twenty substrates and the substrate storage module is an integral part of the lithographic apparatus. The substrate storage module may be used to protect substrates from ambient air during stitched lithographic exposures.

A method for marking a semiconductor substrate at the die level for providing unique authentication and serialization includes projecting a first pattern of actinic radiation onto a layer of photoresist on the substrate using mask-based photolithography, the first pattern defining semiconductor device structures and projecting a second pattern of actinic radiation onto the layer of photoresist using direct-write projection, the second pattern defining a unique wiring structure having a unique electrical signature.

Water soluble organic-inorganic hybrid masks and mask formulations, and methods of dicing semiconductor wafers are described. In an example, a mask for a wafer singulation process includes a water-soluble matrix based on a solid component and water. A p-block metal compound, an s-block metal compound, or a transition metal compound is dissolved throughout the water-soluble matrix.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a photoresist under-layer including a photoresist under-layer composition over a semiconductor substrate, and forming a photoresist layer including a photoresist composition over the photoresist under-layer. The photoresist layer is selectively exposed to actinic radiation and the photoresist layer is developed to form a pattern in the photoresist layer. The photoresist under-layer composition includes a polymer having pendant acid-labile groups, a polymer having crosslinking groups or a polymer having pendant carboxylic acid groups, an acid generator, and a solvent. The photoresist composition includes a polymer, a photoactive compound, and a solvent.

A method of forming a pattern in a photoresist layer includes forming a photoresist layer over a substrate, and reducing moisture or oxygen absorption characteristics of the photoresist layer. The photoresist layer is selectively exposed to actinic radiation to form a latent pattern, and the latent pattern is developed by applying a developer to the selectively exposed photoresist layer to form a pattern.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a photoresist layer over a substrate and applying a base composition to the photoresist layer, the base composition includes non-organic base, organic base, thermal base generator, or photobase generator. The photoresist layer is selectively exposed to actinic radiation to form latent pattern. The latent pattern is developed by applying developer composition to selectively exposed photoresist layer to form pattern in photoresist layer. The base composition is applied to photoresist layer during one or more operations selected from group consisting of applying base composition to substrate as underlayer before photoresist layer is formed and the composition is subsequently absorbed by photoresist layer, a pre-exposure baking operation, after photoresist layer is selectively exposed and before developing latent pattern, and after developing latent pattern.

The present invention provides a film forming composition for lithography containing at least one selected from a compound having a predetermined structure and a resin obtained using the compound as a monomer.

A lithographic process for the production of a semiconductor device has recently caused a problem in terms of generation of a sublime component (sublimate) derived from a low-molecular-weight compound (e.g., polymer resin, crosslinking agent, or crosslinking catalyst) during baking upon formation of a resist underlayer film from a resist underlayer film-forming composition. The resist underlayer film-forming composition of the present invention uses an organic acid having a fluoroalkyl group or an organic acid salt having a fluoroalkyl group, as a crosslinking catalyst, and thus the resist underlayer film-forming composition containing the crosslinking catalyst can effectively prevent generation of a sublimate derived from a low-molecular-weight component contained in the resist underlayer film during formation of the film.

The present disclosure relates to a film formed with a tantalum-based precursor, as well as methods for forming and employing such films. The film can be employed as a photopatternable film or a radiation-sensitive film. In non-limiting embodiments, the radiation can include extreme ultraviolet (EUV) or deep ultraviolet (DUV) radiation.

Described herein are photonic communication platforms that can overcome the memory bottleneck problem, thereby enabling scaling of memory capacity and bandwidth well beyond what is possible with conventional computing systems. Some embodiments provide photonic communication platforms that involve use of photonic modules. Each photonic module includes programmable photonic circuits for placing the module in optical communication with other modules based on the needs of a particular application. The architecture developed by the inventors relies on the use of common photomask sets (or at least one common photomask) to fabricate multiple photonic modules in a single wafer. Photonic modules in multiple wafers can be linked together into a communication platform using optical or electronic means.