Oligo(ether sulfone)-b-oligo(ether ketone with biphenyl terminal groups) was prepared by the aromatic nucleophilic substitution and deprotection reaction cycles. The sulfonation reaction was carried out using chlorosulfuric acid. The degree of sulfonation of the resulting sulfonic acid di- and triblock co-oligomer was 51 and 57%, respectively, which estimated by ¹H NMR spectrum and TGA curve. The resulting sulfonic acid diblock co-oligomer, sodium salt formed the self-assembled structure in the solid state, which is lamellar nanostructures with a periodicity of approximately 3 nm. The structures resulted from hydrophilic interactions of sodium sulfonic acid group and π-π stacking interactions.

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It is entirely fair to say that the minute resist pattern should be deformed due to interaction force without any contact force, that is, non-contacting deformation (NCD). The NCD of a resist pattern can be analyzed based on the interaction investigation using atomic force microscope (AFM). An EB chemically amplified line resist patterns from 60 to 115 nm width and 210 nm height were used as the test patterns. In the force measurement, the AFM tip approaches to the top corner of line resist pattern, then, the AFM tip begins to bend toward the resist pattern due to the interaction force. We calculated the amount of NCD of the line resist pattern by 3D-finite element method (FEM). As decreasing the resist pattern width, the interaction force decreases but the NCD of resist pattern increases. The NCD less than 50nm design rule is also discussed quantitatively.

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It is important to analyze a micro meniscus shape formed at a small nozzle apex in order to optimize a dispense performance in liquid spin coating. A meniscus bridge of deionized (DI) water is formed at a small gap between two nozzles and its curvature radius is changed due to water evaporation. When the incident light enters the meniscus bridge, the light is scattered depending on the meniscus shape. By monitoring the permitted light intensity passed through the meniscus bridge, the formation and vanishing mechanisms of the meniscus bridge can be discussed.

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Low-temperature NH₃/He-microplasma under a high-pressure environment close to atmospheric pressure (720-730 Torr) has been employed for local surface modification of nitrogen groups on the surface of plasma-polymerized styrene (pp-styrene). As a result of optical emission spectroscopy (OES) measurement, the gas temperature of low-temperature NH₃/He-microplasma was T_g ≈ 290 K and proved the treatment to be less thermal damage for the polymer. Also, from the measurement of Lissajou figure, the estimated electron temperature and the mean electron density was T_e≈ 10⁵ K and N_e ≈ 10⁷ cm^-3, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurement results show that the nitrogen and oxygen groups were modified locally on the surface of pp-styrene film by the treatment of NH₃/He-low-temperature plasma. The diameter of modified nitrogen groups' area corresponds to that of the glass capillary (500μm) at the end of microplasma torch. Furthermore, the resonant frequency decline of the treated pp-styrene-coated surface transverse wave (STW) acoustic device suggested that NH₃/He-low-temperature plasma raised the water adsorption on the surface of pp-styrene film. In maximum, the water adsorption increased 2.63 times compared to untreated one.

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Two new monomeric anionic PAGs, and their corresponding polymers, were prepared and characterized. The acid generating efficiency of PAG bound polymers is in the order: NO2 PAG ≈ F4 PAG > CF3 PAG, which agrees well with the electron withdrawing power of the substituents. The NO2 PAG bound polymer showed better imaging resolution, than the CF3 PAG bound polymer. Based on the acid generating efficiency, and our previous results on F4 PAG bound polymer for EUV photoresists, these two new PAGs and PAG bound polymers have the potential for imaging via EUV lithography.

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We have developed water vapor sensing system using surface transverse wave (STW) sensor device coated with microplasma-polymerized allylamine film (MPPAF) as gas molecular recognition component of STW gas sensor system. In this paper, STW sensor devices coated with MPPAF prepared by microplasma-polymerization technique under atmospheric pressure was evaluated the gas sorption property for water vapor. MPPAF showed an excellent stability in repeated usage of the gas sorption and desorption cycles.

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Adhesion property of an ArF resist pattern formed on bottom anti-reflection coating (BARC) is considered to be sensitive to its interface condition. We examine the interface properties by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) attenuated total reflection (ATR) technique. As a result, a sample which was treated with a primer such as HMDS mixture indicates specific spectrums. This result gives an important suggestion that an intermediate layer between the BARC layer and the ArF resist would be formed by the primer treatment. This intermediate layer would act as a factor of the adhesion property.

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Flexure resistance of ITO (Sn-doped indium oxide) layer on PET (polyethylene terephthalate) substrates was changed by the progress of crystallization of it. A change in flexure resistance was composed of two processes. In the first process, remaining stress of non-annealed ITO layer was reduced by annealing and consequently flexure resistance was improved rapidly. In the second process, grain boundary stress of the crystalline phase of ITO layer was generated. When degree of crystallization was comparatively small, grain boundary stress might be restrained by the buffer effect of the amorphous phase and consequently flexure resistance was maintained well. But when degree of crystallization was comparatively large, the buffer effect of the amorphous phase might be lost. Flexure resistance deteriorated gradually as degree of crystallization increased.

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We prepared plasma-polymerized thin films from a mixed gas of carbon dioxide and 1,3-butadiene. Their XPS and FT-IR spectra revealed that hydrophilic groups such as hydroxyl, carboxyl and carbonyl groups existed in the thin films. The content of the C-H carbons gradually decreased with increase in the plasma output power or the CO₂/butadiene flow rate ratio, while the amounts of carbonyl and carboxyl carbons increased correspondingly. In addition, coating of the plasma-polymerized CO₂/butadiene thin film on a polytetrafluoroethylene substrate was found to enhance the adhesion strength when the surface-modified substrate was bonded to a steel plate with an α-cyanoacrylate adhesive. These superior adhesion properties of the plasma-polymerized thin films formed on the substrates indicate that the oxygen-containing functional groups formed at the film surface play a major role in increasing the adhesion strength.

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A native oxide layer on a silicon substrate has an effect on adhesion of a resist micro pattern. Native oxide growth is investigated in various environments such as air, DI(deionized)-water and methanol. In air and DI-water, the native oxide thickness increases gradually as the storage time increases. On the other hand, in methanol, the growth rate of native oxide is quite low for the storage of 5h. In order to obtain a stable surface condition of Si substrate, these results can be applied effectively.

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Carbamoyloxyimino (COI) groups are known to generate amino groups photochemically and isocyanato groups thermally, and these generated groups have been used for highly efficient crosslinking systems. In this article, a series of polymers which were connected to COI groups with or without spacer units were prepared, and their crosslinking behavior on irradiation followed by heating was investigated to clarify the effect of the length of side-chain. There was no effect of spacer units on photoreactivity of COI groups. On the other hand, thermal reactivity of COI groups in polymers with spacer unit was faster than that in polymers without spacer unit. Thermogravimetric analyses and real-time IR spectroscopy revealed lower thermal decomposition temperature, lower glass transition temperature, and higher thermal decomposition rate of COI groups in copolymers with spacer unit compared to corresponding polymers without spacer unit. These behaviors were reflected on the crosslinking on irradiation followed by heating, where films of polymers with spacer unit showed more effective insolubilization than those without spacer unit. Other factor such as comonomer and the presence of α-methyl group on main-chain were also investigated.

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We made complexes between poly(vinylpyridine) (PVPy) and poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylic acid) (PHEMA), or between PVPy and poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVPhOH). Complexes containing PVPhOH were colored simultaneously with mixing, contrary to those containing PHEMA. Poly(2-vinylpyridine) and PHEMA formed clear solution, though poly(4-vinylpyridine) formed cloud one, and it could come from the difference of ionization of PVPys. PHEMA only formed precipitations with PVPy-polystyrene copolymers, and it could be caused by the interference of benzene ring to hydrogen-bonds among pyridine rings. Contrary to PHEMA complexes, 2D emission spectra of PVPhOH complexes showed no significant change with UV-irradiation at 254 nm.

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