Negative resist composition and patterning process

• US 8,603,724 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2010
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Akinobu, Masunaga, Keiichi, Domon, Daisuke, Watanabe, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Eoff, Anca
• Application Number:
  US12/911,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20110143266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 430/270.1, 430/325
• US Class Current: 430/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/20 Masks or mask blanks for imaging by charged particle beam [CPB] radiation, e.g. by electron beam; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0045 with organic non-macromolecular light-sensitive compounds not otherwise provided for, e.g. dissolution inhibitors
• CPC Class Codes: 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
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0382 the macromolecular compound being present in a chemically amplified negative photoresist composition
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/20 Exposure; Apparatus therefor photographic printing apparatus for making copies G03B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 430/111 Polymer of unsaturated acid or ester

Abstract

There is disclosed a negative resist composition comprising at least: (A) a base polymer that is alkaline-soluble and is made alkaline-insoluble by action of an acid; (B) an acid generator; and (C) a basic component, wherein the base polymer at least contains a polymer including repeating units represented by the following general formula (1) and general formula (2) and having a weight average molecular weight of 1,000 to 10,000. There can be a negative resist composition hardly causing a bridge in forming a pattern and providing a high resolution and a patterning process using the same.

Claims

1. A negative resist composition comprising at least:

(A) a base polymer that is alkaline-soluble and is made alkaline-insoluble by action of an acid;

(B) an acid generator; and

(C) a basic component,

wherein the base polymer at least contains a polymer including repeating units represented by the following;

general formula (1), general formula (2), and general formula (4), and having a weight average molecular weight of 1,000 to 10,000,

2. The negative resist composition according to claim 1, wherein the basic component (C) contains at least one or more kinds of amine compounds having a carboxyl group and not having a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a base-center nitrogen atom.

3. The negative resist composition according to claim 2, wherein the amine compound having a carboxyl group and not having a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a base-center nitrogen atom contains one or more kinds of the compounds represented by the following general formulae (5) to (7),

4. The negative resist composition according to claim 2, wherein the basic component (C) further contains, in addition to the amine compound having a carboxyl group and not having a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a base-center nitrogen atom, at least one or more kinds of the amine compounds represented by the following general formula (8) and general formula (9),

5. The negative resist composition according to claim 3, wherein the basic component (C) further contains, in addition to the amine compound having a carboxyl group and not having a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a base-center nitrogen atom, at least one or more kinds of the amine compounds represented by the following general formula (8) and general formula (9),

6. A resist patterning process by a lithography, wherein, at least, a resist film is formed over a substrate to be processed by using the negative resist composition according to claim 1, and the resist film is exposed to a high energy beam and then developed by an aqueous alkaline developer to obtain a resist pattern.

7. A resist patterning process by a lithography, wherein, at least, a resist film is formed over a substrate to be processed by using the negative resist composition according to claim 5, and the resist film is exposed to a high energy beam and then developed by an aqueous alkaline developer to obtain a resist pattern.

8. The resist patterning process according to claim 6, wherein a film thickness of the resist film is 10 nm or more and less than 100 nm.

9. The resist patterning process according to claim 7, wherein a film thickness of the resist film is 10 nm or more and less than 100 nm.

10. The resist patterning process according to claim 6, wherein a photomask blank is used as the substrate to be processed.

11. The resist patterning process according to claim 7, wherein a photomask blank is used as the substrate to be processed.

12. The resist patterning process according to claim 8, wherein a photomask blank is used as the substrate to be processed.

13. The resist patterning process according to claim 9, wherein a photomask blank is used as the substrate to be processed.

14. The resist patterning process according to claim 10, wherein a photomask blank having an outermost surface made of a chromium compound film is used as the photomask blank.

15. The resist patterning process according to claim 11, wherein a photomask blank having an outermost surface made of a chromium compound film is used as the photomask blank.

16. The resist patterning process according to claim 12, wherein a photomask blank having an outermost surface made of a chromium compound film is used as the photomask blank.

17. The resist patterning process according to claim 13, wherein a photomask blank having an outermost surface made of a chromium compound film is used as the photomask blank.

18. The negative resist composition according to claim 1, wherein the base polymer additionally contains repeating units represented by general formula (3)