A surface treatment composition and methods for improving adhesion of an organic layer on a titanium-containing hardmask includes forming a self-assembled monolayer on a surface of the titanium-containing hardmask prior to depositing the organic layer. The self-assembled monolayer is formed from a blend of alkyl phosphonic acids of formula (I): X(CH.sub.2).sub.nPOOH.sub.2 (I), wherein n is 6 to 16 and X is either CH.sub.3 or COOH, wherein a ratio of the methyl terminated (CH.sub.3) alkyl phosphonic acid to the carboxyl terminated (COOH) alkyl phosphonic acid ranges from 25:75 to 75:25.

The present invention employs a compound represented by the following formula (1) and/or a resin comprising the compound as a constituent: ##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 is a 2n-valent group of 1 to 60 carbon atoms or a single bond; R.sup.2 to R.sup.5 are each independently a linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl group of 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an aryl group of 6 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group of 2 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group of 1 to 30 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, a thiol group, a hydroxy group, or a group in which a hydrogen atom of a hydroxy group is replaced with an acid dissociation group, provided that at least one selected from R.sup.2 to R.sup.5 is a group in which a hydrogen atom of a hydroxy group is replaced with an acid dissociation group; m.sup.2 and m.sup.3 are each independently an integer of 0 to 8; m.sup.4 and m.sup.5 are each independently an integer of 0 to 9, provided that m.sup.2, m.sup.3, m.sup.4, and m.sup.5 are not 0 at the same time; n is an integer of 1 to 4; and p.sup.2 to p.sup.5 are each independently an integer of 0 to 2.

There is provided resist underlayer film for lithography process with high dry etching resistance, wiggling resistance, and heat resistance. Resist underlayer film-forming composition for lithography including polymer having unit structure of Formula (1): wherein A is hydroxy group-substituted C.sub.6-40 arylene group derived from polyhydroxy aromatic compound; B is C.sub.6-40 arylene group or C.sub.4-30 heterocyclic group containing nitrogen atom, oxygen atom, sulfur atom, or combination thereof; X.sup.+ is H.sup.+, NH.sub.4.sup.+, primary ammonium ion, secondary ammonium ion, tertiary ammonium ion, or quaternary ammonium ion, T is hydrogen atom, C.sub.1-10 alkyl group or C.sub.6-40 aryl group that may be substituted with halogen group, hydroxy group, nitro group, amino group, carboxylate ester group, nitrile group, or combination thereof as substituent, or C.sub.4-30 heterocyclic group containing nitrogen atom, oxygen atom, sulfur atom, or combination thereof, B and T may form C.sub.4-40 ring together with carbon atom to which they are bonded. ##STR00001##

Gray-tone lithography techniques for controlling the thickness profile of an overcoat layer on a surface-relief grating that has a non-uniform grating parameter (e.g., depth, duty cycle, or period), compensating for the non-uniform etch rate in a large area, defining etch/block regions, and/or controlling the thickness of the grating layer.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a planographic printing plate precursor which suppresses bleeding or transferring of a substance over time while maintaining edge stain preventing performance, a plate-making method of a planographic printing plate, and a printing method using the planographic printing plate. The planographic printing plate precursor includes a support; and an image recording layer formed on the support, in which layer arrangement described in any one of the following i to iv is provided, a hydrophilizatioin agent layer containing a hydrophilization agent is provided in a region in a specific position of the layer arrangement from the end portion of the planographic printing plate precursor to a portion inside the end portion by 1 cm, and the image recording layer includes an infrared absorbing agent and a specific radical polymerizable compound. i: a mode in which the support layer and the image recording layer are provided in this order. ii: a mode in which the support layer, an undercoat, and the image recording layer are provided in this order. iii: a mode in which the support layer, the image recording layer, and a protective layer are provided in this order. iv: a mode in which the support layer, the undercoat, the image recording layer, and the protective layer are provided in this order.

Organometallic solutions have been found to provide high resolution radiation based patterning using thin coatings. The patterning can involve irradiation of the coated surface with a selected pattern and developing the pattern with a developing agent to form the developed image. The patternable coatings may be susceptible to positive-tone patterning or negative-tone patterning based on the use of an organic developing agent or an aqueous acid or base developing agent. The radiation sensitive coatings can comprise a metal oxo/hydroxo network with organic ligands. A precursor solution can comprise an organic liquid and metal polynuclear oxo-hydroxo cations with organic ligands having metal carbon bonds and/or metal carboxylate bonds.

Organometallic solutions have been found to provide high resolution radiation based patterning using thin coatings. The patterning can involve irradiation of the coated surface with a selected pattern and developing the pattern with a developing agent to form the developed image. The patternable coatings may be susceptible to positive-tone patterning or negative-tone patterning based on the use of an organic developing agent or an aqueous acid or base developing agent. The radiation sensitive coatings can comprise a metal oxo/hydroxo network with organic ligands. A precursor solution can comprise an organic liquid and metal polynuclear oxo-hydroxo cations with organic ligands having metal carbon bonds and/or metal carboxylate bonds.

Provided are a pattern formation method including a step of preparing a base material which has an etching layer transparent to an exposure wavelength on each of two surfaces thereof and is transparent to the exposure wavelength, a step of forming a photosensitive resin layer, in which an optical density to the exposure wavelength is in a range of 0.50 to 2.50, on the etching layer on each of the two surfaces of the base material, a step of pattern-exposing the photosensitive resin layer, a step of developing the photosensitive resin layer to form a resist pattern on two surfaces, a step of removing the etching layer on a portion that is not coated with the resist pattern, and a step of peeling the resist pattern off, in this order, a laminate, and a method of producing a touch panel.

Provided are a pattern formation method including a step of preparing a base material which has an etching layer transparent to an exposure wavelength on each of two surfaces thereof and is transparent to the exposure wavelength, a step of forming a photosensitive resin layer, in which an optical density to the exposure wavelength is in a range of 0.50 to 2.50, on the etching layer on each of the two surfaces of the base material, a step of pattern-exposing the photosensitive resin layer, a step of developing the photosensitive resin layer to form a resist pattern on two surfaces, a step of removing the etching layer on a portion that is not coated with the resist pattern, and a step of peeling the resist pattern off, in this order, a laminate, and a method of producing a touch panel.

A method for forming a photoresist relief image including applying a layer of a coating composition on a substrate; and disposing a layer of a photoresist composition on the layer of the coating composition, wherein the coating composition comprises an amine-containing polymer comprising a hydrocarbon-substituted amino group and having nitrogen atoms in an amount from 3 to 47 weight percent, based on a total weight of the amine-containing polymer.