A polymer composition can include an aqueous vehicle and a temperature-responsive degradable polymer having a polymer including a LCST-imparting unit and a lactone-bearing unit including a pendent lactone group. The number of LCST-imparting units is greater than the number of lactone-bearing units. The temperature-responsive degradable polymer has an initial lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 37? C. or below. The polymer composition can have a pH lower than 7.

Topcoat compositions comprise: a matrix polymer; a surface active polymer comprising a polymerized unit formed from a monomer of the following general formula (I): ##STR00001##
wherein: R.sub.1 represents H, F, methyl or fluorinated methyl; R.sub.2 represents optionally substituted C1 to C8 alkylene or optionally substituted C1 to C8 fluoroalkylene, optionally comprising one or more heteroatom; R.sub.3 represents H, F, optionally substituted C1 to C10 alkyl or optionally substituted C5 to C15 aryl, optionally comprising one or more heteroatom; R.sub.4 represents optionally substituted C1 to C8 alkyl, optionally substituted C1 to C8 fluoroalkyl or optionally substituted C5 to C15 aryl, optionally comprising one or more heteroatom; X represents O, S or NR.sub.5, wherein R.sub.5 is chosen from hydrogen and optionally substituted C1 to C5 alkyl; and a is 0 or 1; and a solvent. Also provided are coated substrates and pattern-forming methods which make use of the topcoat compositions. The invention has particular applicability in photolithographic processes as a photoresist topcoat layer in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.

This invention relates to monodisperse cross-linked hydrogel polymer particles comprising a polymer formed from (a) a hydrophilic vinylic monomer; and (b) a crosslinker comprising at least two vinyl groups. The invention also relates to monodisperse seed particles with a Z-average diameter of from 100 nm to 1500 nm that comprise a plurality of non-crosslinked oligomers of poly N,N-dimethylacrylamide. Also provided are methods of forming the monodisperse cross-linked hydrogel polymer particles and monodisperse seed particles.

This invention relates to monodisperse cross-linked hydrogel polymer particles comprising a polymer formed from (a) a hydrophilic vinylic monomer; and (b) a crosslinker comprising at least two vinyl groups. The invention also relates to monodisperse seed particles with a Z-average diameter of from 100 nm to 1500 nm that comprise a plurality of non-crosslinked oligomers of poly N,N-dimethylacrylamide. Also provided are methods of forming the monodisperse cross-linked hydrogel polymer particles and monodisperse seed particles.

Topcoat compositions comprise: a matrix polymer; a surface active polymer comprising a polymerized unit formed from a monomer of the following general formula (I):

##STR00001##

wherein: R.sub.1 represents H, F, methyl or fluorinated methyl; R.sub.2 represents optionally substituted C1 to C8 alkylene or optionally substituted C1 to C8 fluoroalkylene, optionally comprising one or more heteroatom; R.sub.3 represents H, F, optionally substituted C1 to C10 alkyl or optionally substituted C5 to C15 aryl, optionally comprising one or more heteroatom; R.sub.4 represents optionally substituted C1 to C8 alkyl, optionally substituted C1 to C8 fluoroalkyl or optionally substituted C5 to C15 aryl, optionally comprising one or more heteroatom; X represents O, S or NR.sub.5, wherein R.sub.5 is chosen from hydrogen and optionally substituted C1 to C5 alkyl; and a is 0 or 1; and a solvent. Also provided are coated substrates and pattern-forming methods which make use of the topcoat compositions. The invention has particular applicability in photolithographic processes as a photoresist topcoat layer in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.

The present invention discloses novel calibrants containing between 1 and 5 iodine atoms and methods of making them using linear polymers, hyperbranched polymers, and biological polymers (including but not limited to proteins and peptides.) Methods of using the calibrants are also disclosed, such as mass spectrometry. The novel calibrants disclosed herein have a more cost- and time-efficient synthesis than other calibrants.

The present invention discloses novel calibrants containing between 1 and 5 iodine atoms and methods of making them using linear polymers, hyperbranched polymers, and biological polymers (including but not limited to proteins and peptides.) Methods of using the calibrants are also disclosed, such as mass spectrometry. The novel calibrants disclosed herein have a more cost- and time-efficient synthesis than other calibrants.

An object of the present invention is to provide a polydimethylacrylamide powder, a polydimethylacrylamide solution, and a method for producing a polydimethylacrylamide powder, which have extremely good solubility in various solvents and other production raw materials, and can exhibit remarkable hydrophilicity, lubricity, and transparency when used as a raw material of a medical device. The present invention provides a polydimethylacrylamide powder containing polydimethylacrylamide as a main component and having a bulk density of 0.60 g/mL or less, and a method for producing the polydimethylacrylamide powder.

An aqueous liquid medium for analyzing, purifying or separating species in an element having walls or for treating the walls of an element. The medium includes at least a polymer consisting of several polymeric segments. The polymer is of the irregular block-copolymer or irregular comb-like polymer type and has on the average at least three junction points between polymeric segments of different chemical or topological nature. The medium may be used in methods for analyzing, purifying or separating species and methods for treating an element to be contacted with a fluid and/or species contained in the fluid during preservation, transport, analysis, purification or separation of the fluid.

An object of the present invention is to provide a polymer that has excellent heat resistance and dielectric properties and can be dissolved in an organic solvent at a high concentration, a resin composition containing the same, and a molded body thereof. The polymer of the present invention has a repeating unit derived from a polymerizable compound of the following formula (I) (In the formula, X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 each independently represent a C3 to C6 branched alkyl group, a C3 to C6 cyclic alkyl group, a C3 to C6 branched alkoxy group, or a C3 to C6 cyclic alkoxy group, n represents 0 or 1, Z.sup.1 and Z.sup.2 each independently represent a single bond or a C1 to C3 alkylene group, each R independently represents an organic group or a halogeno group, m1 and m2 each independently represent any integer of 0 to 4, and Y represents a polymerizable functional group).

##STR00001##