Provided is a method for producing an organic tellurium compound that enables the production of an organic tellurium compound in high yield using metallic tellurium as a source material and produces less amount of side products. A method for producing an organic tellurium compound includes the steps of: (A) reacting metallic tellurium with a compound represented by a general formula (1) below; and (B) reacting a compound obtained by the step (A) with an organic halogen compound, the metallic tellurium having a copper content of less than 100 ppm,
M(R.sup.1)m   Formula (1)
where R.sup.1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, an aryl group or an aromatic heterocyclic group, M represents an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal, m represents 1 when M is an alkali metal, and m represents 2 when M is an alkaline earth metal.

Provided is a method for producing an organic tellurium compound that enables the production of an organic tellurium compound in high yield using metallic tellurium as a source material and produces less amount of side products. A method for producing an organic tellurium compound includes the steps of: (A) reacting metallic tellurium with a compound represented by a general formula (1) below; and (B) reacting a compound obtained by the step (A) with an organic halogen compound, the metallic tellurium having a copper content of less than 100 ppm,
M(R.sup.1)m   Formula (1)
where R.sup.1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, an aryl group or an aromatic heterocyclic group, M represents an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal, m represents 1 when M is an alkali metal, and m represents 2 when M is an alkaline earth metal.

An organic tellurium compound is disclosed having a versatility that, when used as a living radical polymerization initiator, it is applicable to polymerization of a vinyl monomer in an aqueous vehicle without using any surfactant or dispersant. The organic tellurium compound is represented by a general formula (1), ##STR00001##
where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, A represents an alkali metal atom or an alkaline earth metal atom, x=1 when A is monovalent, x=½ when A is divalent, and R.sup.3 is represented by a general formula (2), ##STR00002##
where in the general formula (2) R.sup.4 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 each independently represent an alkylene group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, and a represents an integer from 0 to 10.

An organic tellurium compound is disclosed having a versatility that, when used as a living radical polymerization initiator, it is applicable to polymerization of a vinyl monomer in an aqueous vehicle without using any surfactant or dispersant. The organic tellurium compound is represented by a general formula (1), ##STR00001##
where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, A represents an alkali metal atom or an alkaline earth metal atom, x=1 when A is monovalent, x=½ when A is divalent, and R.sup.3 is represented by a general formula (2), ##STR00002##
where in the general formula (2) R.sup.4 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 each independently represent an alkylene group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, and a represents an integer from 0 to 10.

A metal-containing onium salt compound suitable for use as a photodegradable base of a resist composition and a resist composition using the metal-containing onium salt compound are provided, the resist composition having excellent sensitivity to ionizing radiation such as extreme ultraviolet (EUV), excellent resolution and focal depth in lithography, and can reduce line width roughness (LWR) in a fine pattern. The onium salt compound including a specific metal is used as the photodegradable base.

Provided is a method for producing an organic tellurium compound that enables the production of an organic tellurium compound in high yield using metallic tellurium as a source material and produces less amount of side products. A method for producing an organic tellurium compound includes the steps of: (A) reacting metallic tellurium with a compound represented by a general formula (1) below; and (B) reacting a compound obtained by the step (A) with an organic halogen compound, the metallic tellurium having a copper content of less than 100 ppm,

M(R.sup.1)m   Formula (1)

where R.sup.1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, an aryl group or an aromatic heterocyclic group, M represents an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal, m represents 1 when M is an alkali metal, and m represents 2 when M is an alkaline earth metal.

Provided is a method for producing an organic tellurium compound that enables the production of an organic tellurium compound in high yield using metallic tellurium as a source material and produces less amount of side products. A method for producing an organic tellurium compound includes the steps of: (A) reacting metallic tellurium with a compound represented by a general formula (1) below; and (B) reacting a compound obtained by the step (A) with an organic halogen compound, the metallic tellurium having a copper content of less than 100 ppm,

M(R.sup.1)m   Formula (1)

where R.sup.1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, an aryl group or an aromatic heterocyclic group, M represents an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal, m represents 1 when M is an alkali metal, and m represents 2 when M is an alkaline earth metal.

Provided are: a tellurium-containing compound represented by Formula (M1); a polymer of a tellurium-containing compound represented by any one of Formulae (M1) to (M3); and a method for producing a polymer. Each of X.sup.1 to X.sup.3, Y.sup.1 to Y.sup.3 and Z.sup.1 to Z.sup.3 independently denotes a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, an iodine atom, or an organic group having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms; at least one of X.sup.1, Y.sup.1, or Z.sup.1 is a fluorine atom; at least one of X.sup.2, Y.sup.2, or Z.sup.2 is a chlorine atom, a perfluoroalkyl group, a monovalent hydrocarbon group having an oxyperfluoroalkylene structure, or a phenyl group; and each of R.sup.1 to R.sup.3 denotes an organic group having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms.

##STR00001##

A process for preparing a polyfluorinated compound of formula Ar—R.sub.1 (I), wherein Ar—R.sub.1 (I) is an aromatic ring system

##STR00001##

wherein R.sub.1 is selected from the group consisting of SF.sub.4Cl, SF.sub.3, SF.sub.2CF.sub.3, TeF.sub.5, TeF.sub.4CF.sub.3, SeF.sub.3, IF.sub.2, SeF.sub.2CF.sub.3, and IF.sub.4, X.sub.2 is N or CR.sub.2, X.sub.3 is N or CR.sub.3, X.sub.4 is N or CR.sub.4, X.sub.5 is N or CR.sub.5, X.sub.6 is N or CR.sub.6, and the total number of nitrogen atoms in the aromatic ring system is between 0 and 3, wherein R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, fluoro, chloro, bromo, nitro, trifluoromethyl, 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl, pentafluorosulfanyl, phthalimido, azido, benzyloxy, trifluoromethoxy, 2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, methylcarbonyl, ethylcarbonyl, acetoxy, t-butyl, phenylcarbonyl, benzylcarbonyl, 3-trifluoromethylphenyl, phenylsulfonyl, methylsulfonyl, chlorophenyl, methyldoxolonyl, methyl, isopropyl, cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, fluoromethyl, fluoroethyl and phenyl.

A process for preparing a polyfluorinated compound of formula Ar—R.sub.1 (I), wherein Ar—R.sub.1 (I) is an aromatic ring system

##STR00001##

wherein R.sub.1 is selected from the group consisting of SF.sub.4Cl, SF.sub.3, SF.sub.2CF.sub.3, TeF.sub.5, TeF.sub.4CF.sub.3, SeF.sub.3, IF.sub.2, SeF.sub.2CF.sub.3, and IF.sub.4, X.sub.2 is N or CR.sub.2, X.sub.3 is N or CR.sub.3, X.sub.4 is N or CR.sub.4, X.sub.5 is N or CR.sub.5, X.sub.6 is N or CR.sub.6, and the total number of nitrogen atoms in the aromatic ring system is between 0 and 3, wherein R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, fluoro, chloro, bromo, nitro, trifluoromethyl, 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl, pentafluorosulfanyl, phthalimido, azido, benzyloxy, trifluoromethoxy, 2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, methylcarbonyl, ethylcarbonyl, acetoxy, t-butyl, phenylcarbonyl, benzylcarbonyl, 3-trifluoromethylphenyl, phenylsulfonyl, methylsulfonyl, chlorophenyl, methyldoxolonyl, methyl, isopropyl, cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, fluoromethyl, fluoroethyl and phenyl.