The invention provides a novolak resin having excellent properties such as heat resistance, alkali developability, photosensitivity and resolution, a photosensitive composition including the novolak resin, a curable composition including the novolak resin, a cured product thereof, and a resist material which uses the photosensitive composition or the curable composition. The novolak resin is one obtained from a compound (A) having a tris(hydroxyaryl)methine group and an aldehyde compound (B) as essential reaction ingredients. The photosensitive composition includes the novolak resin. The curable composition includes the novolak resin, and the cured product is one obtained from such a composition. The resist material uses the photosensitive composition or the curable composition.

The present invention provides a resin composition which can result in a cured film which has chemical resistance, low stress property, and high elongation property even by a heat treatment at a low temperature.

The resin composition comprising an alkali-soluble resin (a) which contains a phenol skeleton having a crosslinking group and a phenol skeleton not having a crosslinking group and which has a weight average molecular weight in the range of 1,000 to 50,000, wherein the content ratio of the phenol skeleton having a crosslinking group to the total 100% by mole of structural units of the phenol skeleton having a crosslinking group and the phenol skeleton not having a crosslinking group is in the range of 5 to 90% by mole.

Provided are a novolac-type phenolic hydroxy group-containing resin having excellent developability, heat resistance, and dry etching resistance and a resist film. The novolac-type phenolic hydroxy group-containing resin includes, as a repeating unit, a structural moiety (I) represented by Structural Formula (1):

##STR00001##

wherein Ar represents an arylene group; R.sup.1's each independently represent any one of a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group, and a halogen atom; and m's each independently represent an integer of 1 to 3, or a structural moiety (II) represented by Structural Formula (2):

##STR00002##

wherein Ar represents an arylene group; R.sup.1's each independently represent any one of a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group, and a halogen atom; and m's each independently represent an integer of 1 to 3.

A stepped substrate coating composition includes: a compound (E) containing partial structures (I) and (II) and a solvent (F). The partial structure (II) contains a hydroxy group generated by an epoxy group and a proton-generating compound reaction; the partial structure (I) is at least one partial structure selected from partial structures of Formula (1-1) to Formula (1-5) or a partial structure combining a partial structure of Formula (1-6) and Formula (1-7) or Formula (1-8); and the partial structure (II) is a partial structure of Formula (2-1) or Formula (2-2). The photocurable stepped substrate coating composition wherein in the compound (E), the epoxy group and the hydroxy group are contained in a molar ratio of 0(Epoxy group)/(Hydroxy group)0.5 and the partial structure (II) is contained in a molar ratio of 0.01(Partial structure (II))/(Partial structure (I)+Partial structure (II))0.8.

A resin and a photosensitive resin composition whereby a cured film exhibiting high extensibility, reduced stress, and high adhesion to metals can be obtained are provided. A resin (A) including a polyamide structure and at least any structure of an imide precursor structure and an imide structure, wherein at least any of the structures of the resin (A) include a diamine residue having an aliphatic group.

The present invention provides a negative type photosensitive resin composition having high sensitivity, excellent halftone characteristics, capability to form a small tapered pattern shape, and alkali-developability.

The negative type photosensitive resin composition includes, as an alkali-soluble resin (A), at least a weakly acidic group-containing resin (A1) and an unsaturated group-containing resin (A2), the weakly acidic group-containing resin (A1) containing an acidic group having an acid dissociation constant in the range of 13.0 to 23.0 in dimethyl sulfoxide, and the unsaturated group-containing resin (A2) containing an ethylenically unsaturated double bond group.

The present application for patent relates to a light-sensitive positive working photosensitive composition especially useful for imaging thick films using a composition which gives very good film uniformity and promotes a good process latitude against feature pattern collapse in patterns created upon imaging and developing of these films.

A formulation for preparing a photo-imageable film; said formulation comprising: (a) a positive photoresist comprising a cresol novolac resin and a diazonaphthoquinone inhibitor; and (b) functionalized zirconium oxide nanoparticles.

A formulation for preparing a photo-imagable film; said formulation comprising: (a) a positive photoresist comprising a cresol novolac resin and a diazonaphthoquinone inhibitor; and (b) functionalized zirconium oxide or barium titanate nanoparticles having a molar ratio of zirconium oxide or barium titanate to ligand from 0.2 to 20.

The present invention employs a compound represented by the following formula (1) and/or a resin comprising the compound as a constituent:

##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 is a 2n-valent group of 1 to 60 carbon atoms or a single bond; R.sup.2 to R.sup.5 are each independently a linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl group of 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an aryl group of 6 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group of 2 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group of 1 to 30 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, a thiol group, a hydroxy group, or a group in which a hydrogen atom of a hydroxy group is replaced with an acid dissociation group, provided that at least one selected from R.sup.2 to R.sup.5 is a group in which a hydrogen atom of a hydroxy group is replaced with an acid dissociation group; m.sup.2 and m.sup.3 are each independently an integer of 0 to 8; m.sup.4 and m.sup.5 are each independently an integer of 0 to 9, provided that m.sup.2, m.sup.3, m.sup.4, and m.sup.5 are not 0 at the same time; n is an integer of 1 to 4; and p.sup.2 to p.sup.5 are each independently an integer of 0 to 2.