Protective film-forming composition containing diol structure

Abstract

A composition for protective film formation can form a flat film that satisfactorily functions as a mask (protection) against wet etchants during semiconductor substrate processing and has a low dry etching rate, the composition having satisfactory covering and recess-filling properties when applied to rugged substrates and having a small thickness difference after the recess filling. A protective film, a resist underlayer film, and a resist-pattern-coated substrate each produced using the composition; and a method for producing a semiconductor device. The composition, which is for forming films for protection against wet etchants for semiconductors, includes an organic solvent and a compound that has a molecular end having a structure including at least one pair of adjoining hydroxyl groups and has a molecular weight of 1,500 or less, wherein particles present therein have an average particle diameter, as determined by a dynamic light scattering method, of 3 nm or smaller.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.