A method to control the density of a three-dimensional photonic crystal template involves changing the irradiation time from at least four laser beams to yield a periodic percolating matrix of mass and voids free of condensed matter from a photoresist composition. The photoresist composition includes a photoinitiator at a concentration where the dose or irradiation is controlled by the irradiation time and is less than the irradiation time that would convert all photoinitiator to initiating species such that the density of the three-dimensional photonic crystal template differs for different irradiation times. A deposition of reflecting or absorbing particles can be patterned on the surface of the photoresist composition to form a template with varying densities above different areas of the substrate.

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.

A manufacturing method for a cured substance includes a film forming step of applying a specific photosensitive resin composition onto a base material to form a film, an exposure step of selectively exposing the film, a development step of developing the exposed film with a developer to form a pattern, a treatment step of bringing a treatment liquid into contact with the pattern, and a heating step of heating the pattern after the treatment step, in which at least one of the developer or the treatment liquid contains at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a base and a base generator.

A liquid processing apparatus includes a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate; a processing liquid supply configured to supply a processing liquid onto a front surface of the substrate; a gas supply configured to supply a gas onto the front surface of the substrate; and a controller. The gas supply includes a diffusion nozzle which is provided with multiple discharge openings respectively elongated at different angles with respect to the front surface of the substrate. The controller performs controlling the gas supply to jet the gas from the diffusion nozzle onto a region of the front surface of the substrate including at least a central portion thereof in a state that the processing liquid is supplied on the front surface of the substrate.

A substrate processing method includes a preprocessing forming step of forming a preprocessing film on a surface of a substrate having the surface on which a first region and a second region in which different substances are exposed are present, a preprocessing film separating step of separating the preprocessing film from the surface of the substrate with a stripping liquid, a processing film forming step of forming a processing film on the surface of the substrate after the preprocessing film separating step, and a processing film separating step of separating the processing film from the surface of the substrate with the stripping liquid. A removal capacity for the processing film to remove the first removal target present in the second region is higher than a removal capacity for the preprocessing film to remove the first removal target present in the second region, and a removal capacity for the preprocessing film to remove the first removal target present in the first region is higher than a removal capacity for the processing film to remove the first removal target present in the first region.

A stripping-solution machine and working method thereof are provided. The stripping-solution machine includes: a plurality stages of chambers, which are arranged sequentially in order, wherein each stage of the chamber is correspondingly connected to a storage box; at least one filter device, wherein one end of the filter device is disposed to be connected to a storage box corresponding to a current stage chamber by a first pipe, and another end of the filter device is connected to a next stage chamber by a second pipe. Furthermore, a plurality of valve switches are at least disposed on the first pipe or the second pipe.

A solvent recycle system minimizes chemical consumption used in various semiconductor processes. The solvent is recycled from a nozzle bath via the addition of buffer tank to connect the bath and circulation pumps. Improvements to the bath design further maintain solvent cleanness by preventing intrusion of particles and overflow conditions in the bath.

A resist underlayer film that exhibits removability and preferably solubility only in wet etching reagent solutions, while exhibiting good resistance to resist developers that are resist solvents or aqueous alkali solutions. The composition for forming a resist underlayer film includes a dicyanostyryl group-bearing polymer (P) or dicyanostyryl group-bearing compound (C) and includes solvent, and does not contain a protonic acid curing catalyst and does not contain an alkylated aminoplast crosslinking agent derived from melamine, urea, benzoguanamine, or glycoluril.

The present invention provides a substrate treating apparatus including: a support unit for supporting and rotating a substrate on which a first pattern and a second pattern different from the first pattern are formed; a liquid supply unit for supplying a treatment liquid to the substrate supported on the support unit; and a heating unit for heating any one of the first pattern and the second pattern.

A composition for forming a resist underlayer film containing a hydrolysis condensate prepared through hydrolysis and condensation of a hydrolyzable silane, wherein the hydrolyzable silane contains a hydrolyzable silane of Formula (1):

R.sup.1.sub.aR.sup.2.sub.bSi(R.sup.3).sub.4−(a+b)   Formula (1)

wherein R.sup.1 is an organic group having a primary amino group, a secondary amino group, or a tertiary amino group and is bonded to a silicon atom via an Si—C bond; R.sup.2 is an alkyl group, an aryl group, a halogenated alkyl group, a halogenated aryl group, an alkoxyaryl group, an alkenyl group, an acyloxyalkyl group, or an organic group having an acryloyl group, a methacryloyl group, a mercapto group, an amino group, an amide group, a hydroxyl group, an alkoxy group, an ester group, a sulfonyl group, or a cyano group, or any combination of these groups, and is bonded to a silicon atom via an Si—C bond; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are optionally bonded together to form a ring structure; R.sup.3 is an alkoxy group, an acyloxy group, or a halogen group; a is an integer of 1; b is an integer of 0 to 2; and a+b is an integer of 1 to 3; and the hydrolysis condensate contains an organic group having a salt structure formed between a counter anion derived from a nitric acid and a counter cation derived from a primary ammonium group, a secondary ammonium group, or a tertiary ammonium group.