A lithography system includes an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source, a reticle stage, a reflection layer, and a plurality of light permeable protrusions. The EUV light source is configured for generating an EUV light beam. The reticle stage is configured for holding a reticle with a front surface of the reticle facing in a downward direction. The reflection layer is below the reticle stage. The light permeable protrusions are formed on the reflection layer. Each of the light permeable protrusions includes a bouncing surface facing in a direction that forms an acute angle with the downward direction. A first portion of the EUV light beam from the EUV light source passes through the bouncing surface of each of the light permeable protrusions to the reflection layer and is reflected to the reticle by the reflection layer.

Implementations of die singulation systems and related methods may include forming a plurality of die on a first side of a substrate, forming a backside metal layer on a second side of a substrate, applying a photoresist layer over the backside metal layer, patterning the photoresist layer along a die street of the substrate, and forming a groove at the pattern of the photoresist layer only partially through a thickness of the backside metal layer. The groove may be located in the die street of the substrate. The method may also include etching through a remaining portion of the backside metal layer located in the die street, removing the photoresist layer, and singulating the plurality of die included in the substrate by removing substrate material in the die street.

A resist underlayer film having an especially high dry etching rate; a composition for forming the resist underlayer film; a method for forming a resist pattern; and a method for producing a semiconductor device. The composition for forming the resist underlayer film has a solvent and a product of reaction between an epoxidized compound and a heterocyclic compound containing at least one moiety having reactivity with an epoxy group. It is preferable that the heteroring contained in the heterocyclic compound be selected from among furan, pyrrole, pyran, imidazole, pyrazole, oxazole, thiophene, thiazole, thiadiazole, imidazolidine, thiazolidine, imidazoline, dioxane, morpholine, diazine, thiazine, triazole, tetrazole, dioxolane, pyridazine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, piperidine, piperazine, indole, purine, quinoline, isoquinoline, quinuclidine, chromene, thianthrene, phenothiazine, phenoxazine, xanthene, acridine, phenazine, and carbazole.

An electronic component cleaning method including: a preparation step of preparing an electronic component having a first surface covered with a protective film, a second surface opposite to the first surface, a sidewall between the first and second surfaces, and an adhering matter adhering to the sidewall; and a sidewall cleaning step of cleaning the sidewall. The sidewall cleaning step includes a deposition step of depositing a first film on the protective film and a surface of the adhering matter, using a first plasma, and a removal step of removing the first film deposited on the surface of the adhering matter, together with at least part of the adhering matter, using a second plasma. In the sidewall cleaning step, the deposition step and the removal step are alternately repeated a plurality of times, so as to allow the protective film to continue to exist.

Provided are a hardmask composition including a polymer including a structural unit represented by Chemical Formula 1 and a structural unit represented by Chemical Formula 2, and a solvent, a hardmask layer manufactured from the hardmask composition, and a method of forming patterns from the hardmask composition, wherein the definitions of Chemical Formula 1 and Chemical Formula 2 are as described in the specification.

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A silicon-containing composition includes: a first polysiloxane; a second polysiloxane different from the first polysiloxane; and a solvent. The first polysiloxane includes a group which includes at least one selected from the group consisting of an ester bond, a carbonate structure, and a cyano group. The second polysiloxane includes a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms.

A composition for forming a resist underlayer film includes: (A) a crosslinkable compound represented by formula (I) and (D) a solvent. [In the formula, n is an integer of 2-6, the n-number of Z each independently are monovalent organic groups including a mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, or hexaformylaryl group, the n-number of A each independently represent —OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2O— or (BB), and T is an n-valent hydrocarbon group and/or repeating unit of a polymer optionally having at least one group selected from the group made of a hydroxy group, an epoxy group, an acyl group, an acetyl group, a benzoyl group, a carboxy group, a carbonyl group, an amino group, an imino group, a cyano group, an azo group, an azide group, a thiol group, a sulfo group, and an allyl group and optionally interrupted by a carbonyl group and/or an oxygen atom.]

The present invention provides a resist underlayer film capable of improving LWR and CDU in a fine pattern formed by a chemically-amplified resist which uses an acid as a catalyst. A composition for forming a silicon-containing resist underlayer film, including a thermosetting silicon-containing material (Sx), a curing catalyst (Xc), and a solvent, in which a distance of diffusion of the curing catalyst (Xc) from a resist underlayer film formed from the composition for forming a silicon-containing resist underlayer film to a resist upper layer film to be formed on the resist underlayer film is 5 nm or less.

A method of forming a resist pattern includes applying a photoresist to first and second regions of a processing target to form a resist layer. The processing target includes a stacked body of alternately stacked first and second layers. The first region includes an upper surface of the stacked body, and the second region includes a recess extending into the stacked body from the upper surface. The resist layer is then patterned with light passed through a multi-gradation mask including a partial translucent feature at an outer perimeter of the recess, a light shielding feature corresponding in position to the recess, and a translucent feature surrounding the partial translucent feature. A resist pattern is formed including an overhang portion extending above a portion of the recess.

A system for generating extreme ultraviolet light, in which a target material inside a chamber is irradiated with a laser beam to be turned into plasma, includes a first laser apparatus configured to output a first laser beam, a second laser apparatus configured to output a pedestal and a second laser beam, and a controller connected to the first and second laser apparatuses and configured to cause the first laser beam to be outputted first, the pedestal to be outputted after the first laser beam, and the second laser beam having higher energy than the pedestal to be outputted after the pedestal.