A positive resist composition comprising a base polymer comprising recurring units (a) having the structure of an ammonium salt of an iodized or brominated phenol, and recurring units (b1) having an acid labile group-substituted carboxyl group and/or recurring units (b2) having an acid labile group-substituted phenolic hydroxyl group exhibits a high sensitivity, high resolution, low edge roughness and dimensional uniformity, and forms a pattern of good profile after exposure and development.

A polymer comprising a first repeating unit including an amino group protected by an alkoxycarbonyl group; a second repeating unit including a nucleophilic group; and a third repeating unit including a crosslinkable group, wherein the first repeating unit, the second repeating unit, and the third repeating unit are different from each other.

A resist composition is provided comprising a base polymer and a quencher comprising a salt compound consisting of a cyclic ammonium cation and a 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propoxide anion having a trifluoromethyl, hydrocarbylcarbonyl or hydrocarbyloxycarbonyl group bonded thereto. The resist composition has a high sensitivity and forms a pattern with improved LWR or CDU, independent of whether it is of positive or negative tone.

Provided are a salt capable of producing a resist pattern with satisfactory CD uniformity (CDU), an acid generator, and a resist composition comprising the same. Disclosed are a salt represented by formula (I), an acid generator, and a resist composition comprising the same:

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 each represent a halogen atom, a haloalkyl group or a hydrocarbon group; A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 each represent a hydrocarbon group, the hydrocarbon group may have a substituent, and —CH.sub.2— included in the hydrocarbon group may be replaced by —O—, —CO—, —S— or —SO.sub.2—; ml represents an integer of 1 to 5, m2, m4, m5 and m8 represent an integer of 0 to 5, m7 represents an integer of 0 to 4, 1≤m1+m7≤5, 0≤m2+m8≤5; and AI.sup.− represents an organic anion.

A positive resist composition is provided comprising (A) a specific sulfonium salt as quencher, (B) a sulfonium salt consisting of a fluorinated sulfonate anion and a sulfonium cation as acid generator, and (C) a base polymer comprising repeat units having an acid labile group. The resist composition has a high sensitivity and resolution, improved LWR or CDU, and a broad process window and forms a pattern of good profile after exposure.

The present invention is a resist material containing a quencher, where the quencher contains a sulfonium salt of a carboxylic acid bonded to a maleimide group. In a chemically amplified resist material in which an acid is used as a catalyst, it is desired to develop a quencher that makes it possible to reduce LWR of line patterns and critical dimension uniformity (CDU) of hole patterns, and to improve sensitivity. For this purpose, it is necessary to reduce image blurs due to acid diffusion considerably. An object of the present invention is to provide: a resist material having high sensitivity, low LWR, and low CDU in both a positive resist material and a negative resist material; and a patterning process using the same.

A radiation-sensitive resin composition includes: a polymer which has a first structural unit including a phenolic hydroxyl group, and a second structural unit represented by formula (1); and a radiation-sensitive acid generating agent which has a compound represented by formula (2). R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, or the like; R.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom or the like; and R.sup.3 represents a divalent monocyclic alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 12 ring atoms. Ar.sup.1 represents a group obtained by removing (q+1) hydrogen atoms on an aromatic ring from an arene formed by condensation of at least two benzene rings; R.sup.4 represents a monovalent organic group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms; q is an integer of 0 to 7; and R.sup.5 represents a halogen atom, a hydroxy group, a nitro group, or a monovalent organic group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or the like.

##STR00001##

A chemically amplified photosensitive composition capable of forming a template for plating which can form a plated article with uniform dimensions by photolithography method; a photosensitive dry film including a photosensitive layer consisting of this chemically amplified photosensitive composition; a production method of a substrate having a template for plating using the aforementioned chemically amplified photosensitive composition; and a production method of a plated article using the substrate having the template formed by the aforementioned method. A coumarin compound is blended into a chemically amplified photosensitive composition containing an acid generator which generates an acid by irradiation of active rays or radioactive rays.

A photoresist composition comprising: a resin which has a structural unit represented by formula (I): ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a C1 to C6 alkyl group which optionally has a halogen atom, and R.sup.2 represents a C1 to C42 hydrocarbon group which optionally has a substituent; an alkali-soluble resin; an acid generator; and a solvent.

A novel onium salt of formula (1) and a chemically amplified resist composition comprising the same as a PAG are provided. When processed by photolithography using KrF or ArF excimer laser, EB or EUV, the resist composition has a high sensitivity and reduced acid diffusion and is improved in exposure latitude, MEF, and LWR. ##STR00001##