A salt capable of producing a resist pattern with excellent line edge roughness is represented by formula (I): ##STR00001##
wherein, R.sup.1 represents —(X.sup.1—O).sub.o—R.sup.5, and o represents an integer of 0 to 6, R.sup.5 represents a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, X.sup.1 represents a divalent hydrocarbon group having 2 to 12 carbon atoms, R.sup.2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms or the like, I represents an integer of 0 to 3, and when I is 2 or more, a plurality of R.sup.2 may be the same or different from each other, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 each represent a hydrogen atom or the like, m and n each represent 1 or 2, X.sup.0 represents a single bond, —CH.sub.2—, —O— or —S—, and R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 each represent an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms which has a fluorine atom or the like.

A chemically amplified positive-type photosensitive resin composition including an acid generator which generates acid upon exposure to an irradiated active ray or radiation, a resin whose solubility in alkali increases under the action of acid, and a nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocyclic compound that is a nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocyclic compound having a specific structure and having a Log S value of −6.00 or less.

Disclosed are a compound represented by formula (I), a resin including a structural unit derived from the compound, and a resist composition: ##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 represents an alkyl group which may have a halogen atom, a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom; A.sup.1 represents a single bond or *-A.sup.2-CO—O—; A.sup.2 and A.sup.3 represent an alkanediyl group; W represents a divalent monocyclic saturated alicyclic hydrocarbon group; R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 each represent a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group which may have a fluorine atom, etc., R.sup.4 represents a hydrogen atom, —CH.sub.2— in the group may be replaced by —O—, —S—, etc., R.sup.2 and R.sup.3, or R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 may be bonded each other to form a ring which may have a fluorine atom or an alkyl group.

Disclosed are a compound represented by formula (I), a resin including a structural unit derived from the compound, and a resist composition: ##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 represents an alkyl group which may have a halogen atom, a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom; A.sup.1 represents a single bond or *-A.sup.2-CO—O—; A.sup.2 and A.sup.3 represent an alkanediyl group; W represents a divalent monocyclic saturated alicyclic hydrocarbon group; R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 each represent a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group which may have a fluorine atom, etc., R.sup.4 represents a hydrogen atom, —CH.sub.2— in the group may be replaced by —O—, —S—, etc., R.sup.2 and R.sup.3, or R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 may be bonded each other to form a ring which may have a fluorine atom or an alkyl group.

Disclosed are a salt represented by formula (I), and a method for producing the salt, and a quencher and a resist composition comprising the same: ##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each represent a hydrocarbon group, and —CH.sub.2— included in the hydrocarbon group may be replaced by —O— or —CO—; R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 each represent a halogen atom, an alkyl fluoride group or a hydrocarbon group, and —CH.sub.2— included in the hydrocarbon group may be replaced by —O— or —CO—; m3 represents an integer of 0 to 2, and when m3 is 2, two R.sup.3 may be the same or different from each other; and m4 and m5 represent an integer of 0 to 5, and when m4 and/or m5 is/are 2 or more, a plurality of R.sup.4 and/or a plurality of R.sup.5 may be the same or different from each other.

A blank mask includes a transparent substrate and a light shielding film disposed on the transparent substrate. A surface of the light shielding film has a controlled power spectrum density value at a spatial frequency of 1 μm.sup.−1 to 10 μm.sup.−1. The surface of the light shielding film has a controlled minimum power spectrum density value at the spatial frequency of 1 μm.sup.−1 to 10 μm.sup.−1. An Rq value of the surface of the light shielding film is 0.25 nm to 0.55 nm.

Stabilized precursor solutions can be used to form radiation inorganic coating materials. The precursor solutions generally comprise metal suboxide cations, peroxide-based ligands and polyatomic anions. Design of the precursor solutions can be performed to achieve a high level of stability of the precursor solutions. The resulting coating materials can be designed for patterning with a selected radiation, such as ultraviolet light, x-ray radiation or electron beam radiation. The radiation patterned coating material can have a high contrast with respect to material properties, such that development of a latent image can be successful to form lines with very low line-width roughness and adjacent structures with a very small pitch.

A photosensitive resin composition comprising (A) a vinyl ether compound, (B) an epoxy-containing silicone resin, and (C) a photoacid generator is provided. The composition enables pattern formation using radiation of widely varying wavelength, and the patterned film has high transparency, light resistance, and heat resistance.

A blue curable resin composition includes a colorant (A), a resin (B), a polymerizable compound (C) and a polymerization initiator (D). The colorant (A) includes two or more pigments each having a phthalocyanine backbone. The blue curable resin composition has relatively low in Bx and is high in intensity in an xy chromaticity diagram of an XYZ color system. A color filter may be formed from the blue curable resin composition. The blue curable composition may be also used in a display device.

A black photosensitive resin composition comprising (A) an acid crosslinkable group-containing silicone resin, (B) carbon black, and (C) a photoacid generator is coated onto a substrate to form a photosensitive resin coating which has improved reliability with respect to adhesion and crack resistance, resolution and flexibility while maintaining satisfactory light shielding properties.