Polycyclic resist compositions with increased etch resistance

A cyclic polymer polymerized from a monomer composition containing one or more polycyclic monomers having a pendant aromatic substituent in optional combination with a monomer selected from the group consisting of one or more polycyclic monomers having a pendant acid labile substituent, one or more polycylic monomers having a pendant neutral or polar substituent, one or more monomers having a pendant hydrocarbyl substituent, and combinations thereof, wherein said aromatic substituent containing monomer is represented by the structure:

• ##STR31## wherein R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 independently represent hydrogen, --(CH.sub.2)C(O)OR, wherein R is hydrogen or linear and branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.10) alkyl and at least one of R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 is an aromatic containing substituent selected from the group consisting of --G, --(CH.sub.2).sub.n G, --C(O)O(CH.sub.2).sub.n G, --C(O)NH(CH.sub.2).sub.n G, --(CH.sub.2).sub.n OG, --(CH.sub.2).sub.n OC(O)O(CH.sub.2).sub.n G, and --(CH.sub.2).sub.n NHC(O)G;
• m is an integer of 0 to 5;
• n independently represents an integer of 0 to 5;
• and G is an aromatic group substituted with at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of --OR.sup.14, R.sup.15, and combinations thereof, wherein R.sup.14 represents hydrogen, linear and branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.10) alkyl, --C(O)CH.sub.3, tetrahydropyranyl, t-butyl;
• R.sup.15 represents hydrogen, bromine, chlorine, fluorine, iodine, cyano, and the group --C(O)O-t-butyl;
• R.sup.1 and R.sup.4 together with the two ring carbon atoms to which they are attached can form a substituted aromatic group of 6 to 14 carbon atoms wherein said substituents are selected from at least one moiety of the formulae --OR.sup.14 or R.sup.15 as defined above;
• R.sup.1 and R.sup.4 together with the two ring carbon atoms to which they are attached can also form a 5 membered heterocyclic group containing at least one heteroatom wherein the heteroatom is substituted with G as defined above;
• said acid labile group containing monomer is represented by the structure:
• ##STR32## wherein R.sup.5 to R.sup.8 independently represent a substituent selected from the group --(A).sub.n C(O)OR*, --(A).sub.n --C(O)OR, --(A).sub.n --OR, --(A).sub.n --OC(O)R, --(A).sub.n --C(O)R, --(A).sub.n --OC(O)OR, --(A).sub.n --OCH.sub.2 C(O)OR*, --(A).sub.n --C(O)O--A'--OCH.sub.2 C(O)OR*, --(A).sub.n --OC(O)--A'--C(O)OR*, --(A).sub.n --C(R).sub.2 CH(R)(C(O)OR**), and --(A).sub.n --C(R).sub.2 CH(C(O)OR**).sub.2 subject to the proviso that at least one of R.sup.5 to R.sup.8 is selected from an acid labile group containing R*;
• A and A' independently represent a divalent bridging or spacer radical selected from divalent hydrocarbon radicals selected from linear and branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.10) alkylene;
• divalent cyclic hydrocarbon radicals selected from substituted and unsubstituted (C.sub.3 to C.sub.8) cycloaliphatic moieties of the formula:
• ##STR33## wherein "a" is an integer from 2 to 7 and R.sup.q if present represents linear and branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.10) alkyl groups;
• divalent oxygen containing radicals selected from (C.sub.2 to C.sub.10) alkylene ethers and polyethers of the formula:
• .paren open-st.CH.sub.2 (CH.sub.2).sub.x O.paren close-st..sub.y
• wherein x is an integer from 1 to 5 and y is an integer from 2 to 50, with the proviso that the terminal oxygen atom on the polyether spacer moiety can not be directly linked to a terminal oxygen atom on an adjacent group to form a peroxide linkage;
• and divalent cyclic ethers and cyclic diethers represented by the structures:
• ##STR34## and R* is acid labile group selected from Dcpm, Dmcp, --C(CH.sub.3).sub.3, --CH(R.sup.p)OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.3, --CH(R.sup.p)OC(CH.sub.3).sub.3, and the cyclic group:
• ##STR35## or mixtures thereof, wherein R.sup.p represents hydrogen and a linear or branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.5) alkyl group;
• wherein said neutral or polar group containing monomer is represented by the structure:
• ##STR36## wherein q is an integer from 0 to 5;
• R.sup.9 to R.sup.12 independently represent hydrogen, linear or branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.10) alkyl, or a substituent selected from the group --(A).sub.n --C(O)OR", --(A).sub.n --OR", --(A).sub.n --OC(O)R", --(A).sub.n --OC(O)OR", --(A).sub.n --C(O)R", --(A).sub.n --OC(O)C(O)OR", --(A).sub.n --O--A'--C(O)OR", --(A).sub.n --OC(O)--A'--C(O)OR", --(A).sub.n --C(O)O--A'--C(O)OR", --(A).sub.n --C(O)--A'--OR", --(A).sub.n --C(O)O--A'--OC(O)OR", --(A).sub.n --C(O)O--A'--O--A'--C(O)OR", --(A).sub.n --C(O)O--A'--OC(O)C(O)OR", --(A).sub.n --C(R").sub.2 CH(R")(C(O)OR"), and --(A).sub.n --C(R").sub.2 CH(C(O)OR").sub.2, R.sup.9 and R.sup.12 can be taken together with the ring carbon atoms to which they are attached to represent a cyclic anhydride group;
• A and A' independently represent a divalent bridging or spacer radical selected from divalent hydrocarbon radicals selected from linear and branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.10) alkylene;
• divalent cyclic hydrocarbon radicals selected from substituted and unsubstituted (C.sub.3 to C.sub.8) cycloaliphatic moieties of the formula:
• ##STR37## wherein "a" is an integer from 2 to 7 and R.sup.q if present represents linear and branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.10) alkyl groups;
• divalent oxygen containing radicals selected from (C.sub.2 to C.sub.10) alkylene ethers and polyethers of the formula:
• .paren open-st.CH.sub.2 (CH.sub.2).sub.x O.paren close-st..sub.y
• wherein x is an integer from 1 to 5 and y is an integer from 2 to 50, with the proviso that the terminal oxygen atom on the polyether spacer moiety can not be directly linked to a terminal oxygen atom on an adjacent group to form a peroxide linkage;
• and divalent cyclic ethers and cyclic diethers represented by the structures:
• ##STR38## R" independently represents, linear and branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.10) alkyl, linear and branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.10) alkoxyalkylene, polyethers, monocyclic and polycyclic (C.sub.4 to C.sub.20) cycloaliphatic moieties, cyclic ethers, cyclic ketones, and cyclic esters;
• and wherein said hydrocarbyl containing monomer is represented by the structure:
• ##STR39## wherein R.sup.13 to R.sup.16 independently represent hydrogen and linear and branched (C.sub.1 to C.sub.10) alkyl;
• and m is an integer from 0 to 5.