1-25. (canceled)
26. A polyolefin-based adhesive resin produced by the method comprising:
a. polymerizing a monomer composition of at least one olefin;
b. mixing with shear mixing, while minimizing cross-linking, at least 50% by weight based on the polyolefin-based adhesive resin of the polymerization product following polymerization without first pelletizing the polyolefin with at least one graft polymer or copolymer containing from about 0.1 to about 3% by weight of polar monomer in a heated mixing device at a temperature above the melting point of the components; and
c. recovering the resulting polyolefin-based adhesive resin.
27. A polyolefin-based adhesive resin produced by the method comprising:
a. polymerizing a monomer composition selected from the group consisting of an olefin having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, a mixture of an olefin having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, with a second, different olefin having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, a mixture of said olefin with at least one other unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon, a mixture of said olefin having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms with a second, different olefin having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms and at least one other unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon, a mixture of said olefin with at least one ethylenically unsaturated ester or acid, and mixtures thereof;
b. mixing with shear mixing, while minimizing cross-linking, at least 50% by weight based on the polyolefin-based adhesive resin of the polymerization product following polymerization without first pelletizing with at least one graft polymer or copolymer containing from about 0.1 to about 3% by weight of a polar monomer in a heated mixing device at a temperature above the melting point of the components; and
c. recovering the resulting polyolefin-based adhesive resin.
28. A polyolefin-based adhesive resin produced according to by the method comprising:
a. polymerizing a monomer composition comprising a mixture of more than 50% by weight ethylene gas and less than 50% by weight butene gas;
b. mixing with shear mixing, while minimizing cross-linking, at least 50% by weight based on the polvolefin-based adhesive resin of the polymerization product following polymerization without first pelletizing with at least one graft polymer of at least one polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid or acid derivative, wherein the at least one graft polymer contains from about 0.1 to about 3% bV weight of a polar monomer, in a heated mixing device at a temperature above the melting point of the components; and
c. recovering the resulting polyolefin-based adhesive resin.
29. A structure comprising a substrate having the polyolefin-based adhesive of claim 26 bonded to a side thereof.
30. A structure comprising a substrate selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyamides, polyvinyl alcohol, ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, metals, glass, wood, and paper having the polyolefin-based adhesive resin of claim 26 bonded to a side thereof.
31-32. (canceled)
33. A structure comprising a substrate having the polyolefin-based adhesive resin of claim 27 bonded to a side thereof.
34. A structure comprising a substrate selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyamides, polyvinyl alcohol, ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, metals, glass, wood, and paper having the polyolefin-based adhesive resin of claim 27 bonded to a side thereof.
35-36. (canceled)
37. A structure comprising a substrate having the polyolefin-based adhesive resin to of claim 28 bonded to a side thereof.
38. A structure comprising a substrate selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyamides, polyvinyl alcohol, ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, metals, glass, wood, and paper having the polyolefin-based adhesive resin of claim 28 bonded to a side thereof.
39-43. (canceled)
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus for exposing a photoresist-developed substrate, comprising:
a chamber, the chamber having at least one gas inlet, the gas inlet being adapted to introduce a gas into the chamber;
a support within the chamber; and
a substrate on the support, the substrate having at least one developed photoresist layer, the substrate being exposed to a curing environment within the chamber, the curing environment being defined through the introduction of the gas through the gas inlet and causing at least a portion of the developed photoresist layer to convert to a hardened layer.
2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the developed photoresist layer is a silicon containing photoresist.
3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the gas is one of oxygen and ammonia.
4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the chamber is an etch chamber.
5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the hardened layer has a thickness of between about 5% to about 75% of the developed photoresist layer.
6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the hardened layer is one of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride.
7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein a temperature of the curing environment is between about 30 C. and about 70 C.
8. The apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the oxygen flow rate into the chamber is between about 50 sccm and about 500 sccm.
9. The apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the ammonia flow rate into the chamber is between about 100 sccm and about 2000 sccm.
10. An apparatus for curing a photoresist on a substrate, comprising:
a chamber, the chamber having at least one gas inlet, the gas inlet being adapted to introduce a gas into the chamber;
a support within the chamber; and
a substrate on the support, the substrate having a first photoresist layer and a second photoresist layer, the first photoresist layer being disposed over the second photoresist layer, the first photoresist layer being formulated to contain a hardening agent, the hardening agent interacting with the gas to form a hardened layer at a top region of the first photoresist layer.
11. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the gas is one of oxygen and ammonia.
12. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the support is a chuck.
13. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the second photoresist layer is about 6000 .
14. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein an etch selectivity ratio of the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer is between about 8 and about 15.
15. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the hardening agent is silicon.
16. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the hardened layer includes one of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride.