# US 7,608,386 B2 · Resist cover film-forming material, process for forming resist pattern, semiconductor device and process for manufacturing the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,608,386 B2 - Document ID: US7608386B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/442,147 - Filed: 2006-05-30 - Published: 2007-08-16 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2006-02-16 - Assignees: Fujitsu Limited - Inventors: Koji Nozaki; Miwa Kozawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7608386B2 ## CPC - G03F 7/11: having cover layers or intermediate layers, e.g. subbing layers {(G03F7/091 - G03F7/093, B41N3/03 take precedence)} - G03F 7/2041: {in the presence of a fluid, e.g. immersion; using fluid cooling means} - Y10S 430/106: Binder containing - 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) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract The present invention can provide a resist cover film-forming material which is suitably used for a resist cover film for liquid immersion exposure and can transmit ArF excimer laser lights and provide a process for forming a resist pattern using the resist cover film-forming material. The resist cover film-forming material contains a resin having an alicyclic skeleton at any of the main chain and the side chains; it is nonphotosensitive and is used in forming a resist cover film that covers a resist film during liquid immersion exposure. The process for forming of a resist pattern includes forming a resist film on a surface of a workpiece to be processed, forming a resist cover film on the resist film using the resist cover film-forming material of the present invention, irradiating the resist film with exposure light through the resist cover film by liquid immersion exposure, and developing the resist film. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A resist cover film-forming material comprising: an alkali-insoluble resin having an alicyclic skeleton at any of the main chain and the side chains, wherein the alkali-insoluble resin is not fluorinated; and wherein the resist cover film-forming material itself is nonphotosensitive and is used for forming a resist cover film which covers a resist film when the resist film is subjected to liquid immersion exposure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The resist cover film-forming material according to claim 1, wherein the alicyclic skeleton is at least one selected from the group consisting of cyclohexane, cyclopentane, adamantane, norbornane, tricyclononane, bicyclooctane, tricyclodecane, tetracyclododecane, and derivatives thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The resist cover film-forming material according to claim 1, wherein the resin has a polar group. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The resist cover film-forming material according to claim 3, wherein the polar group is at least one selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl groups, carboxyl groups, and hexafluorocarbinol groups. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The resist cover film-forming material according to claim 1, wherein the resin has a polystyrene-converted weight average molecular weight of 1,000 to 1,000,000. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The resist cover film-forming material according to claim 1, wherein the content of the alicyclic skeleton to the resin, when expressed as molar fraction of monomer units having an alicyclic group, is 30 mole % or more. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The resist cover film-forming material according to claim 3, wherein the content of the polar group to the resin, when expressed as molar fraction of monomer units having the polar group, is less than 40 mole %. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The resist cover film-forming material according to claim 1, further comprising a surfactant. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The resist cover film-forming material according to claim 8, wherein the surfactant is at least one selected from the group consisting of silicone-containing surfactants, nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, anionic surfactants, and amphoteric surfactants each of which does not comprise any metal ions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The resist cover film-forming material according to claim 1, further comprising an organic solvent. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The resist cover film-forming material according to claim 10, wherein the organic solvent is at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbon solvents and aliphatic alkanols having 3 or more carbon atoms. ### Claim 12 A process for forming a resist pattern comprising: forming a resist film on a surface of a workpiece to be processed, forming a resist cover film on the resist film using a resist cover film-forming material, irradiating the resist film with exposure light through the resist cover film by liquid immersion exposure, and developing the resist film, wherein the resist cover film-forming material comprises an alkali-insoluble resin having an alicyclic skeleton at any of the main chain and the side chains; the alkali-insoluble resin is not fluorinated; and the resist cover film-forming material itself is nonphotosensitive and is used for forming a resist cover film which covers a resist film when the resist film is subjected to liquid immersion exposure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The process for forming a resist pattern according to claim 12, wherein the resist cover film has a thickness of 10 nm to 300 nm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The process for forming a resist pattern according to claim 12, wherein the resist cover film is formed by a coating method. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The process for forming a resist pattern according to claim 12, wherein the resist cover film is removed by use of an organic solvent and developed by use of an alkali developing solution. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The process for forming a resist pattern according to claim 12, wherein a fluid used for the liquid immersion exposure is water. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The process for forming a resist pattern according to claim 12, wherein the exposure light is ArF excimer laser light having a wavelength of 193 nm. ### Claim 18 A process for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising: forming a resist pattern, and patterning, the forming a resist pattern comprises forming a resist film on a surface of a workpiece to be processed, forming a resist cover film on the resist film using a resist cover film-forming material, irradiating the resist film with exposure light through the resist cover film by liquid immersion exposure, and developing the resist film to thereby form a resist pattern; and the patterning comprises patterning the surface of the workpiece by etching the surface of the workpiece using the resist pattern as a mask, wherein the resist cover film-forming material comprises an alkali-insoluble resin having an alicyclic skeleton at any of the main chain and the side chains; the alkali-insoluble resin is not fluorinated; and the resist cover film-forming material itself is nonphotosensitive and is used for forming a resist cover film which covers a resist film when the resist film is subjected to liquid immersion exposure. ### Claim 19 A semiconductor device manufactured by a process for manufacturing a semiconductor device, wherein the process for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises: forming a resist pattern, and patterning, the forming a resist pattern comprises forming a resist film on a surface of a workpiece to be processed, forming a resist cover film on the resist film using a resist cover film-forming material, irradiating the resist film with exposure light through the resist cover film by liquid immersion exposure, and developing the resist film to thereby form a resist pattern; and the patterning comprises patterning the surface of the workpiece by etching the surface of the workpiece using the resist pattern as a mask, wherein the resist cover film-forming material comprises an alkali-insoluble resinhaving an alicyclic skeleton at any of the main chain and the side chains; the alkali-insoluble resin is not fluorinated; and the resist cover film-forming material itself is nonphotosensitive and is used for forming a resist cover film which covers a resist film when the resist film is subjected to liquid immersion exposure.