Resist compositions and patterning process

A resist composition comprising a dendritic or hyperbranched polymer of a phenol derivative having a weight average molecular weight of 500-10,000,000 has an excellent resolution, reduced line edge roughness, and dry etching resistance and is useful as a chemical amplification type resist composition which may be either positive or negative working.

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What is claimed is:

1. A resist composition comprising as a base resin a dendritic or hyperbranched polymer of a phenol derivative having a weight average molecular weight of 500 to 10,000,000wherein the polymer comprises recurring units (I) or (II) or both and recurring units (III) as shown below, the number of units (III) being 1 to 1,000, units (I): ##STR60## units (II) ##STR61##

wherein R.sup.1 is hydrogen or methyl, R.sup.2 is independently a straight, branched or cyclic alkyl group of 1 to 30 carbon atoms or aryl group of 6 to 30 carbon atoms, R.sup.3 is an OR.sup.4 group, R.sup.4 is an acid labile group or acid stablegroup, x is 0 or a positive integer, y is a positive integer, and the sum of x and y is up to 5, units (III): ##STR62## wherein R.sup.1 is as defined above, and X is a valence bond or a straight or branched chain alkylene group of 1 to 10 carbon atomswhich may contain a hydroxyl or carbonyl group.

2. The resist composition of claim 1 wherein the polymer has been prepared by living anion polymerization.

3. A chemical amplification positive resist composition comprising (A) a base resin constructed of the polymer of claim 1 which is little or no soluble in alkali, but becomes alkali soluble by reaction with acid, (B) an organic solvent, and (C)a photoacid generator.

4. The resist composition of claim 3 further comprising (D) a basic compound.

5. The resist composition of claim 3 further comprising (E) a dissolution regulator.

6. A chemical amplification negative resist composition comprising (A') a base resin constructed of the polymer of claim 1 which becomes little or no soluble in alkali by crosslinking with a crosslinker, (B) an organic solvent, (C) a photoacidgenerator, and (F) the crosslinker.

7. The resist composition of claim 6 further comprising (D) a basic compound.

8. A process for forming a resist pattern comprising the steps of: (i) applying a resist composition according to claims 3 onto a substrate, (ii) heat treating the coated film and then exposing it to actinic radiation having a wavelength of upto 500 nm or electron beams through a photo mask, and (iii) optionally heat treating the exposed film and developing it with a developer.

9. The resist composition of claim 1, wherein R.sup.2 is 1-8 carbon atoms.

10. The resist composition of claim 1, wherein R.sup.2 is methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl, cyclohexyl, cyclopentyl, or phenyl.

11. The resist composition of claim 1, wherein R.sup.4 is a group of formula (9), or a group of formula (10), ##STR63##

where R.sup.6 is a tert-alkyl group of 4 to 40 carbon atoms, a trialkylsilyl group whose alkyl groups each have 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and an oxoalkyl group of 4 to 20 carbon atoms, and a is an integer of 0 to 10; and R.sup.7 is hydrogen or astraight, branched or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and R.sup.8 and R.sup.9 are, independently, a branched or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or R.sup.8 and R.sup.9, taken together, form a ring.

12. The resist composition of claim 13, wherein the group of formula 10 is a 1-methoxyethyl, 1-ethoxyethyl, 1-n-propoxyethyl, 1-isopropoxyethyl, 1-n-butoxyethyl, 1-isobutoxyethyl, 1-sec-butoxyethyl, 1-tert-butoxyethyl, 1-tert-amyloxyethyl,1-ethoxy-n-propyl, 1-cyclohexyloxyethyl, methoxypropyl, ethoxypropyl, 1-methoxy-1-methylethyl, 1-ethoxy-1-methylethyl, tetrahydrofuranyl or tetrahydropyranyl.

13. The resist composition of claim 1, wherein R.sup.4 is an acid labile group of the formula Qa or Qb: ##STR64##

where R' and R" are each, independently, hydrogen or a straight, branched or cyclic alkyl group of 1 to 8 carbon atoms, or R' and R", taken together, may form a ring, with the proviso that each of R' and R" is a straight or branched alkylenegroup of 1 to 8 carbon atoms when they form a ring; R"' is a straight, branched or cyclic alkylene group of 1 to 10 carbon atoms; d is 0 or an integer of 1-10; A is a c-valent aliphatic or alicyclic saturated hydrocarbon group, aromatic hydrocarbongroup or heterocyclic group of 1 to 50 carbon atoms, which may have an intervening hetero atom and in which the hydrogen atom attached to a carbon atom may be partially replaced by a hydroxyl group, carboxyl group, acyl group or halogen atom; B is--CO--O--, --NHCO--O-- or --NHCONH--; c is an integer of 2-8; and c' is an integer of 1-7.

14. A resist composition of claim 1, wherein at least one unit (I) or (II) is bonded to at least one unit (III) through the X group in unit (III).