# US 2019/0171101 A1 · Photocurable composition and method for producing semiconductor device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0171101 A1 - Document ID: US20190171101A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/324,483 - Filed: 2017-07-31 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-08 - Assignees: Nissan Chemical Corporation - Applicants: Nissan Chemical Corporation - Inventors: Hikaru TOKUNAGA; Takafumi ENDO; Keisuke HASHIMOTO; Rikimaru SAKAMOTO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190171101A1 ## CPC - G03F 7/008: Azides (G03F7/075 takes precedence) - C08G 59/14: Polycondensates modified by chemical after-treatment - C08G 59/1477: {containing nitrogen} - C08G 59/1483: {containing sulfur} - C08G 59/68: characterised by the catalysts used - G03F 7/0045: {with organic non-macromolecular light-sensitive compounds not otherwise provided for, e.g. dissolution inhibitors} - G03F 7/0275: {with dithiol or polysulfide compounds} - G03F 7/038: Macromolecular compounds which are rendered insoluble or differentially wettable (G03F7/075 takes precedence; macromolecular azides G03F7/012; macromolecular diazonium compounds G03F7/021) - G03F 7/094: {Multilayer resist systems, e.g. planarising layers} - G03F 7/11: having cover layers or intermediate layers, e.g. subbing layers {(G03F7/091 - G03F7/093, B41N3/03 take precedence)} - G03F 7/40: Treatment after imagewise removal, e.g. baking - C08L 63/00: Compositions of epoxy resins; Compositions of derivatives of epoxy resins - H10P 76/2041: {Photolithographic processes} - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) - C08G: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS - C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A photocurable composition for forming coating film having flattening properties on a substrate, with high fillability into patterns and capability of forming a coating film that is free from thermal shrinkage, which contains at least one compound that contains a photodegradable nitrogen-containing and/or sulfur-containing structure, a hydrocarbon structure, and a solvent. A compound which contains at least one photodegradable structure in one molecule. A compound which contains the photodegradable structures, and the hydrocarbon structure in one molecule, or a combination of compounds which contain the structures in separate molecules. The hydrocarbon structure is a saturated or unsaturated, linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbon group having a carbon atom number of 1 to 40. The nitrogen-containing structure contains a reactive nitrogen-containing functional group or reactive carbon-containing functional group produced by irradiation with ultraviolet light; and the sulfur-containing structure contains an organic sulfur radical or carbon radical produced by irradiation with ultraviolet light. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A photocurable composition comprising at least one compound having a photodegradable nitrogen-containing structure and/or photodegradable sulfur-containing structure, and a hydrocarbon structure, and a solvent. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The photocurable composition according to claim 1, wherein the compound is a compound having one or more photodegradable nitrogen-containing structures and/or photodegradable sulfur-containing structures in one molecule. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The photocurable composition according to claim 1, wherein the compound is a compound having the photodegradable nitrogen-containing structure and/or photodegradable sulfur-containing structure, and the hydrocarbon structure in one molecule, or a combination of compounds having the photodegradable nitrogen-containing structure and/or photodegradable sulfur-containing structure, and the hydrocarbon structure in separate molecules. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The photocurable composition according to claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon structure is a saturated or unsaturated, linear, branched, or cyclic hydrocarbon group having a carbon atom number of 1 to 40. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The photocurable composition according to claim 1, wherein the photodegradable nitrogen-containing structure is a structure producing a reactive nitrogen-containing functional group or a reactive carbon functional group by irradiation with ultraviolet light, or a structure having a reactive nitrogen-containing functional group or a reactive carbon-containing functional group produced by irradiation with ultraviolet light. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The photocurable composition according to claim 5, wherein the photodegradable nitrogen-containing structure is a photodegradable nitrogen-containing structure optionally having a sulfur atom, the structure including an azide structure, a tetrazole structure, a triazole structure, an imidazole structure, a pyrazole structure, an azole structure, a diazo structure, or a combination of the structures. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The photocurable composition according to claim 1, wherein the photodegradable sulfur-containing structure is a structure producing an organic sulfur radical or a carbon radical by irradiation with ultraviolet light, or a structure having an organic sulfur radical or a carbon radical produced by irradiation with ultraviolet light. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The photocurable composition according to claim 7, wherein the photodegradable sulfur-containing structure is a photodegradable sulfur-containing structure optionally having a nitrogen atom, the structure including a trisulfide structure, a disulfide structure, a sulfide structure, a thioketone structure, a thiophene structure, a thiol structure, or a combination of the structures. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The photocurable composition according to claim 1, wherein the compound is a product obtained by an addition reaction of a carboxylic acid (carboxyl group)-containing compound, a hydroxyl group-containing compound, an amine (amino group)-containing compound, or a thiol group-containing compound with an epoxy compound, the photodegradable nitrogen-containing structure and/or photodegradable sulfur-containing structure is included in one substrate and the hydrocarbon structure is included in another substrate, or the photodegradable nitrogen-containing structure and/or photodegradable sulfur-containing structure and the hydrocarbon structure are included only in one substrate and another substrate includes these structures or does not include these structures. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The photocurable composition according to claim 1, wherein a content of the compound is 30 to 100% by mass relative to the mass of solid content of the photocurable composition except for the solvent. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The photocurable composition according to claim 1 which is a photocurable resist underlayer film-forming composition used in a lithography process in production of a semiconductor device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The photocurable composition according to claim 1 which is a photocurable stepped substrate-coating composition used in a lithography process in production of a semiconductor device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A method for producing a coated substrate comprising steps of: (i) applying the photocurable composition according to claim 1 to a substrate; and (ii) exposing the applied photocurable composition to light. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, comprising, after the step (i), a step (ia) of heating the applied photocurable composition at 70 to 400° C. for 10 seconds to 5 minutes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the exposure light in the step (ii) has a wavelength of 150 nm to 248 nm. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein an exposure does of the exposure light in the step (ii) is 10 mJ/cm2 to 3,000 mJ/cm2. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A method for producing a semiconductor device comprising steps of: applying the photocurable composition according to claim 1 to a semiconductor substrate, followed by exposure to light, to form an underlayer film; forming a resist film on the underlayer film; irradiating the resist film with light or an electron beam, followed by development, to form a resist pattern; etching the underlayer film through the resist pattern; and processing the semiconductor substrate through the patterned underlayer film. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A method for producing a semiconductor device comprising steps of: applying the photocurable composition according to claim 1 to a semiconductor substrate, followed by exposure to light, to form an underlayer film; forming a hard mask on the underlayer film; forming a resist film on the hard mask; irradiating the resist film with light or an electron beam, followed by development, to form a resist pattern; etching the hard mask through the resist pattern; etching the underlayer film through the patterned hard mask; and processing the semiconductor substrate through the patterned underlayer film. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the semiconductor substrate has an open area (unpatterned area) and a patterned area of dense (DENCE) and crude (ISO) patterns, and an aspect ratio of the patterns is 0.1 to 10.