Radiation imagery chemistry: process – composition – or product th – Imaging affecting physical property of radiation sensitive... – Finishing or perfecting composition or product
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-28
2002-04-16
Huff, Mark F. (Department: 1756)
Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th
Imaging affecting physical property of radiation sensitive...
Finishing or perfecting composition or product
C430S329000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06372415
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a resist developer, and more particularly to a resist developer which can be suitably used for forming an image (a pattern) from a positive or negative resist such as an azide compound-type resist or a chemical amplification-type resist.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Conventionally, it has been required in the field of the art relating to lithography employed in the production of semiconductor devices and liquid crystal display devices that the dissolution selectivity of a photoresist and uniformity of fine patterns formed from the photoresist are improved. In order to satisfy the above requirement, as a positive or negative resist, there has been developed a high resolution resist such as an azide compound-type resist or a chemical amplification-type resist, the base resin of which is an alkali-soluble polymer. Also, as a developer for the resist, an aqueous solution of a quaternary ammonium hydroxide has been proposed.
The aqueous solution of a quaternary ammonium hydroxide, however, cannot be appropriately used as a developer in the field of the art requiring high resolution since the aqueous solution does not form fine patterns of a resist due to its poor dissolution selectivity.
In order to improve the dissolution selectivity of a resist, there has been proposed a developer prepared by mixing an aqueous solution of a quaternary ammonium hydroxide with an alkylene oxide compound as disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication Nos. Hei 6-38159 and Hei 5-73228, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Sho 60-223120. The proposed developer, however, does not satisfy the required dissolution selectivity to a resist.
An object of the present invention is to provide a resist developer showing excellent dissolution selectivity, which promotes the solubility of a resist to be dissolved and inhibits the solubility of a resist not to be dissolved to form uniform fine resist patterns corresponding to the fine patterns of its resist mask.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a resist developer which develops a resist in a short period of time.
These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided
(A) a resist developer prepared from
(1) at least one compound selected from a basic organic compound A and an organic compound B capable of forming a salt together with a basic compound, and/or
(2) a salt C of the basic organic compound A and the organic compound B capable of forming a salt together with the basic compound;
(B) a resist developer comprising a salt C of a basic organic compound A and an organic compound B capable of forming a salt together with a basic compound; and
(C) a method for developing a resist, comprising using the resist developer according to the above (A) or (B).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The resist developer of the present invention is prepared from
(1) at least one compound selected from a basic,organic compound A and an organic compound B capable of forming a salt together with a basic compound (hereinafter merely referred to as “organic compound B”), and/or
(2) a salt C formed from the basic organic compound A and the organic compound B.
The salt C formed from the basic organic compound A and the organic compound B is intended to mean that the salt C is composed of a salt of the basic organic acid A and the organic acid B, and/or a dissociated substance generated from the salt C.
The starting material used for the developer of the present invention includes, for instance, a combination of the basic organic compound A and the organic compound B; the salt C; a combination of the basic organic compound A, the organic compound B and the salt C; and a combination of the basic organic compound A and the salt C. The developer can be easily prepared, for instance, by dissolving the starting material in water.
The developer includes the salt C, and moreover may include the basic organic compound A and/or the organic compound B.
Representative examples of the basic organic compound A include ammonia, primary amines, secondary amines, tertiary amines, imines, alkanol amines, amides, basic heterocyclic compounds, quaternary ammonium hydroxides, and the like. Those compounds can be used alone or in admixture thereof.
Concrete examples of the basic organic compound A include ammonia; primary amines such as ethylamine, n-propylamine, n-butylamine and 1,3-diaminopropane; secondary amines such as diethylamine, di-n-propylamine, di-n-butylamine and 4,4′-diaminodiphenylamine; tertiary amines such as n,n-dimethylethylamine, n,n-diethylmethylamine and triethylamine; imines such as bis(dialkylamino)imine; alkanol amines such as monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, diethylethanolmine and propanolamine; amides such as formamide and acetoamide; basic heterocyclic compounds having at least one hetero-atom selected from nitrogen atom, oxygen atom and sulfur atom in its ring structure having 3 to 5 carbon atoms, such as pyrrole, pyrrolidine, pyrrolidone, pyridine, morpholine, pyrazine, piperidine, oxazole and thiazole; a quaternary ammonium hydroxide represented by the formula (II):
wherein each of R
2
, R
3
, R
4
and R
5
is independently an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an aralkyl group having 7 or 8 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6 to 8 carbon atoms, a hydroxyalkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or an alkoxyalkyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms; and the like.
Concrete examples of the quaternary ammonium hydroxide represented by the formula (II) include tetramethylammonium hydroxide (hereinafter referred to as “TMAH”), tetraethylammonium hydroxide, tetrabutylammonium hydroxide, tributylammonium hydroxide, trimethylhydroxyethylammonium hydroxide (hereinafter refereed to as “choline”), tetraethanolammonium hydroxide, methyltriethanolammonium hydroxide, and the like. Among them, from the viewpoint of dissolution selectivity, the quaternary ammonium hydroxide is preferable. Also, it is desirable that each of R
2
, R
3
, R
4
and R
5
in the formula (II) has 1 to 4 carbon atoms, preferably 1 or 2 carbon atoms, respectively. In particular, TMAH and choline are most preferable.
The term “dissolution selectivity” described herein is intended to mean a nature which promotes the solubility of the region of a resist to be dissolved, and which inhibits the solubility of the region of a resist not to be dissolved. For instance, when a positive resist is developed with the resist developer, the region of the resist to which ultraviolet rays, far ultraviolet rays, excimer lasers, X-rays or electron beams are irradiated, corresponds to the region of a resist to be dissolved, and the region of the resist to which any rays are not irradiated, corresponds to the region of a resist not to be dissolved.
Examples of the basic compound capable of forming a salt together with the organic compound B include the basic organic compound A and a basic inorganic compound. Examples of the basic inorganic compound include, for instance, sodium hydroxide, pottasium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, and the like.
Concrete examples of the organic compound B include organic compounds having carboxyl group, thiocarboxyl group, dithiocarboxyl group, sulfo group, sulfino group or sulfeno group, and salts formed from the organic compound and the basic inorganic compound.
Concrete examples of the organic compound B further include ethers, esters, amides and imides, which have carboxyl group, thiocarboxyl group, dithiocarboxyl group, sulfo group, sulfino group or sulfeno group in their molecules, and salts formed from those compounds and the basic inorganic compound.
Examples of the ether, the ester, the amide and the imide include esters prepared by reacting a polycarboxylic acid, a polythiocarboxylic acid or a polydithiocarboxylic acid with an alcohol or an alkylene oxide adduct thereof; amides, imides o
Kitazawa Kozo
Nomoto Shogo
Sakai Akimitsu
Barreca Nicole
Kao Corporation
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
LandOfFree
Resist developer does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Resist developer, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Resist developer will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2881100