Composition for forming resist underlayer film with improved film density

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12449732-B2
Application number	US-201716097523-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2017
Priority date	Apr 28, 2016
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

A resist underlayer film formation composition including a novolak resin that has a repeating unit structure represented by the following formula (1). (In formula (1), groups A and B are organic groups which each have an aromatic ring, a fused aromatic ring, or a fused aromatic heterocycle and have a structure in which two or more mono- or divalent chemical groups selected from the group consisting of chemical groups (a) that cause an increase in mass upon oxidation, groups (b) that form a crosslink upon heating, and groups (c) that induce phase separation during curing have replaced hydrogen atoms on the ring(s) contained in group A and/or B.) The composition further includes a crosslinking agent and an acid and/or acid generator. A production process is provided in which the resist underlayer film formation composition is applied to a semiconductor substrate and burned to obtain a resist underlayer film.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a resist underlayer film, the method comprising applying and baking a resist underlayer film-forming composition on a semiconductor substrate so as to obtain the resist underlayer film,
wherein the resist underlayer film-forming composition comprises a novolak resin having a repeating unit structure consisting of the following formula (1):

wherein a group A is an organic group that includes a ring structure comprising an aromatic ring selected from the group consisting of benzene, naphthalene and diphenylamine and a group B is each independently an organic group that includes a ring structure comprising an aromatic ring, a condensed aromatic ring, or a condensed aromatic hetero ring, wherein the repeating unit structure of formula (1) further includes two or more same or different mono- or divalent chemical groups selected from the group consisting of
chemical group (a) that is sulfide group,
chemical group (b) that is amino group, carboxyl group, a carboxylic acid alkyl ester group, nitro group, hydroxy group, ether group, or a combination thereof, with a proviso that chemical group (b) does not include a secondary amino group, and
chemical group (c) that is a fluoroalkyl group,

by way of the mono- or divalent chemical groups each being substituted for a hydrogen atom bonded to a carbon atom in the ring structure of the group A and/or of the group B;
wherein, in the two or more mono- or divalent chemical groups, at least one is selected from the chemical group (b);
wherein if the group A is diphenylamine:
the amino group of the diphenylamine is one of the two or more mono- or divalent chemical groups;
chemical group (a) is a sulfide group;
chemical group (b) is a carboxylic acid alkyl ester group, an ether group, or a combination thereof; and
chemical group (c) is a fluoroalkyl group.

2. A method for producing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
a step of forming a resist underlayer film from a resist underlayer film-forming composition on a semiconductor substrate;
a step of forming a resist film on the resist underlayer film;
a step of forming a resist pattern through irradiation with light or an electron beam and development;
a step of etching the underlayer film with the formed resist pattern; and
a step of processing the semiconductor substrate with the patterned underlayer film,
wherein the resist underlayer film-forming composition comprises a novolak resin having a repeating unit structure consisting of the following formula (1):

wherein a group A is an organic group that includes a ring structure comprising an aromatic ring selected from the group consisting of benzene, naphthalene and diphenylamine and a group B is each independently an organic group that includes a ring structure comprising an aromatic ring, a condensed aromatic ring, or a condensed aromatic hetero ring, wherein the repeating unit structure of formula (1) further includes two or more same or different mono- or divalent chemical groups selected from the group consisting of
chemical group (a) that is sulfide group,
chemical group (b) that is amino group, carboxyl group, a carboxylic acid alkyl ester group, nitro group, hydroxy group, ether group, or a combination thereof, with a proviso that chemical group (b) does not include a secondary amino group, and
chemical group (c) that is a fluoroalkyl group,

by way of the mono- or divalent chemical groups each being substituted for a hydrogen atom bonded to a carbon atom in the ring structure of the group A and/or of the group B;
wherein, in the two or more mono- or divalent chemical groups, at least one is selected from the chemical group (b);
wherein if the group A is diphenylamine:
the amino group of the diphenylamine is one of the two or more mono- or divalent chemical groups;
chemical group (a) is a sulfide group;
chemical group (b) is a carboxylic acid alkyl ester group, an ether group, or a combination thereof; and
chemical group (c) is a fluoroalkyl group.

3. A method for producing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
a step of forming a resist underlayer film from a resist underlayer film-forming composition on a semiconductor substrate;
a step of forming a hard mask on the resist underlayer film;
a step of further forming a resist film on the hard mask;
a step of forming a resist pattern through irradiation with light or an electron beam and development;
a step of etching the hard mask with the formed resist pattern;
a step of etching the underlayer film with the patterned hard mask; and
a step of processing the semiconductor substrate with the patterned resist underlayer film,
wherein the resist underlayer film-forming composition comprises a novolak resin having a repeating unit structure consisting of the following formula (1):

wherein a group A is an organic group that includes a ring structure comprising an aromatic ring selected from the group consisting of benzene, naphthalene and diphenylamine and a group B is each independently an organic group that includes a ring structure comprising an aromatic ring, a condensed aromatic ring, or a condensed aromatic hetero ring, wherein the repeating unit structure of formula (1) further includes two or more same or different mono- or divalent chemical groups selected from the group consisting of
chemical group (a) that is sulfide group,
chemical group (b) that is amino group, carboxyl group, a carboxylic acid alkyl ester group, nitro group, hydroxy group, ether group, or a combination thereof, with a proviso that chemical group (b) does not include a secondary amino group, and
chemical group (c) that is a fluoroalkyl group,

by way of the mono- or divalent chemical groups each being substituted for a hydrogen atom bonded to a carbon atom in the ring structure of the group A and/or of the group B;
wherein, in the two or more mono- or divalent chemical groups, at least one is selected from the chemical group (b);
wherein if the group A is diphenylamine:
the amino group of the diphenylamine is one of the two or more mono- or divalent chemical groups; and
chemical group (a) is a sulfide group;
chemical group (b) is a carboxylic acid alkyl ester group, an ether group, or a combination thereof; and
chemical group (c) is a fluoroalkyl group.

4. A resist underlayer film-forming composition comprising a novolak resin having a repeating unit structure selected from the group consisting of:

Assignees

• Nissan Chemical Corp

Inventors

• Tokunaga Hikaru
• Ohno Masashi
• Sakamoto Rikimaru
• Hashimoto Keisuke

Classifications

• H10P76/405

  characterised by their composition, e.g. multilayer masks · CPC title

• H10P76/20

  of masks comprising organic materials · CPC title

• G03F7/26

  Processing photosensitive materials; Apparatus therefor (G03F7/12 - G03F7/24 take precedence) · CPC title

• C08G12/26

  with heterocyclic compounds · CPC title

• C08G12/08 Primary

  aromatic · CPC title