A method and apparatus for curing a substrate are described. The apparatus includes a curing apparatus with a casing and an ultraviolet (UV) radiation assembly coupled to the casing. The ultraviolet radiation assembly further includes a line UV radiation source. The casing includes an opening on one end. A substrate passes by the opening and is exposed to the UV radiation of the line UV radiation source. The curing apparatus further includes a purge assembly configured to continuously purge the process volume and the volume directly above the exposed portion of the substrate. The curing apparatus is configured to only cure a portion of the substrate at any one point in time, such that the curing apparatus is a scanning curing apparatus and includes a small process volume.

A reticle, a reticle container and a method of lithography process are provided. The reticle container includes: a cover configured to protect a reticle, a baseplate, and a discharging device on the baseplate. The baseplate has: a top surface configured to engage to the cover and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface. The discharging device is configured to neutralize static charges accumulated on the reticle.

A method of forming patterned features on a substrate is provided. The method includes positioning a plurality of masks arranged in a mask layout over a substrate. The substrate is positioned in a first plane and the plurality of masks are positioned in a second plane, the plurality of masks in the mask layout have edges that each extend parallel to the first plane and parallel or perpendicular to an alignment feature on the substrate, the substrate includes a plurality of areas configured to be patterned by energy directed through the masks arranged in the mask layout. The method further includes directing energy towards the plurality of areas through the plurality of masks arranged in the mask layout over the substrate to form a plurality of patterned features in each of the plurality of areas.

A pellicle assembly for large-size photomasks including a frame member configured to be affixed to a large-size photomask substrate, a substantially rigid and transparent pellicle membrane affixed to the frame member so as to protect at least a portion of the large-size photomask substrate from contamination during usage, storage and/or transport, and a coating on at least one of top and bottom surfaces of the pellicle membrane that binds the pellicle membrane to prevent separation of pellicle membrane material in the event of breakage.

A substrate is provided with a patterned layer, for example, a photo resist layer, which may exhibit line roughness. In one exemplary embodiment, the patterned layer may be an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photo resist layer. In one method, selective deposition of additional material is provided on the EUV photo resist layer after patterning to provide improved roughness and lithographic structure height to allow for more process margin when transferring the pattern to a layer underlying the photo resist. The additional material is deposited selectively thicker in areas above the photo resist than in areas where the photo resist is not present, such as exposed areas between the photo resist pattern. Pattern transfer to a layer underlying the photo resist may then occur (for example via an etch) while the patterned photo resist and additional material above the photo resist may collectively operate as an etch mask.

A resist underlayer film for lithography does not cause intermixing with a resist layer, has high dry etching resistance and high heat resistance, and generates a low amount of sublimate. A resist underlayer film-forming composition containing a polymer having a unit structure of the following formula (1):

##STR00001##

wherein A is a divalent group having at least two amino groups, the group is derived from a compound having a condensed ring structure and an aromatic group for substituting a hydrogen atom on the condensed ring, and B.sup.1 and B.sup.2 are each independently a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a benzene ring group, a condensed ring group, or a combination thereof, or B.sup.1 and B.sup.2 optionally form a ring with a carbon atom bonded to B.sup.1 and B.

The disclosed subject matter relates to resist compositions comprising a phenolic resin component, a photoactive 2,1,5-diazonaphthoquinonesulfonate component (PAC), a solvent component that do not include or require the use of an added photo acid generator (PAG). The PAC is a free PAC, a coupled PAC (PACb) or a combination thereof that includes a substituted or unsubstituted 2,1,5-DNQ material or compound onto which a substituted or unsubstituted 2,1,5-DNQ material is appended that, when UV exposed, do not form sulfonic acid. The phenolic resin component is a Novolak derivative in which some or all of the free hydroxy groups are protected with an acid cleavable acetal moiety which can include a PACb moiety. The disclosed subject matter also relates to the methods of using the present compositions in either in thick for thin film photoresist device manufacturing methodologies.

Method for producing coating composition applied to patterned resist film in lithography process for solvent development to reverse pattern. The method including: step obtaining hydrolysis condensation product by hydrolyzing and condensing hydrolyzable silane in non-alcoholic hydrophilic solvent; step of solvent replacement wherein non-alcoholic hydrophilic solvent replaced with hydrophobic solvent for hydrolysis condensation product. Method for producing semiconductor device, including: step of applying resist composition to substrate and forming resist film; step of exposing and developing formed resist film; step applying composition obtained by above production method to patterned resist film obtained during or after development in step, forming coating film between patterns; step of removing patterned resist film by etching and reversing patterns. Production method that exposure is performed using ArF laser (with wavelength of 193 nm) or EUV (with wavelength of 13.5 nm). Production method that development is negative development with organic solvent.

The present disclosure provides a positive photoresist composition including a major adhesive material and a photosensitizer, wherein the photoresist composition further includes a photoisomerizable compound which would be converted into an ionic structure with an increased degree of molecular polarity after ultraviolet irradiation. The formation of the ionic structure with increased polarity of the molecule reduces the adhesion between the positive photoresist and the organic film layer, facilitates stripping after formation of the via, and improves the product rate of pass. Further, the present disclosure provides a via-forming method using the positive resist composition, a display substrate including the via formed by the via-forming method, and a display device including the display substrate.

A liquid discharge apparatus includes: a discharge head including a discharge portion configured to discharge a liquid; a cap configured to cap the discharge portion; a suction unit configured to suck an interior of the cap through a first fluid passage communicating with the interior of the cap in a state in which the cap caps the discharge portion; an open/close unit configured to open/close a second fluid passage communicating with the interior of the cap, the open/close unit being set in an open state when a negative pressure state of the interior of the cap, which is generated by suction by the suction unit, is canceled; and a filter arranged in the second fluid passage.