A phenolic hydroxyl-containing compound is provided. The compound dissolves well in solvents and can be formulated into compositions that give coatings superior in thermal decomposition resistance, alkali developability, resolution, and dry-etch resistance. Specifically, the compound is a phenolic hydroxyl-containing calixarene represented by structural formula (1):

##STR00001##

(where A is a structural unit including a dihydroxynaphthalene- or naphthol-derived structure optionally with a substituent alkyl, alkoxy, aryl, or aralkyl group or halogen atom on the aromatic rings and a methylene group optionally having an alkyl or aryl group in place of one of the hydrogen atoms) and obtained using a dihydroxynaphthalene in combination with a naphthol, with the total repeat number p being an integer of 2 to 10.

A photosensitive composition for the formation of resist underlayer films that contains a novolac phenolic resin resulting from an acid-catalyzed reaction between one or more phenolic trinuclear compounds (A) selected from the group consisting of the compounds of general formula (1) and the compounds of general formula (2) and an aldehyde (B).

##STR00001##

In the formulae, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 each independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, R.sup.4 represents hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted aryl, p and q are each independently an integer of 1 to 4, r is an integer of 0 to 4, and s is 1 or 2, with the proviso that the sum of r and s is 5 or less.

Polyphenolic condensates and epoxidized products prepared from said condensates are prepared by a reaction utilizing multi catalysts to control the weight average molecular weight (Mw) and the number average molecular weight (Mn). Improved color and ultraviolet absorbance are possessed by the condensates described herein.

Polyphenolic condensates and epoxidized products prepared from said condensates are prepared by a reaction utilizing multi catalysts to control the weight average molecular weight (Mw) and the number average molecular weight (Mn). Improved color and ultraviolet absorbance are possessed by the condensates described herein.

The present invention is a method for decomposing a polymer material by chemically decomposing a polymer material containing a first monomer and a second monomer in a mixture of the polymer material with the first monomer or a derivative of the first monomer to produce a chemical raw material. A relationship between a proportion of number of molecules of the second monomer to number of molecules of the first monomer in a reaction system for decomposing the polymer material and the molecular weight of the chemical raw material produced in the reaction system is acquired in advance (S101). Subsequently, an addition mount of the derivative of the first monomer to be added to the polymer material is determined based on the above relationship (S102). The first monomer in the addition amount determined is then mixed with the polymer material (S103).

The present invention is a method for decomposing a polymer material by chemically decomposing a polymer material containing a first monomer and a second monomer in a mixture of the polymer material with the first monomer or a derivative of the first monomer to produce a chemical raw material. A relationship between a proportion of number of molecules of the second monomer to number of molecules of the first monomer in a reaction system for decomposing the polymer material and the molecular weight of the chemical raw material produced in the reaction system is acquired in advance (S101). Subsequently, an addition mount of the derivative of the first monomer to be added to the polymer material is determined based on the above relationship (S102). The first monomer in the addition amount determined is then mixed with the polymer material (S103).

There is provided a new coating liquid for resist pattern coating. A coating liquid for resist pattern coating comprising a component A that is a polymer including at least one hydroxy group or carboxy group; a component B that is a sulfonic acid of A-SO.sub.3H (where A is a linear or branched alkyl group or fluorinated alkyl group having a carbon atom number of 1 to 16, an aromatic group having at least one of the alkyl group or the fluorinated alkyl group as a substituent, or a C.sub.4-16 alicyclic group optionally having a substituent); and a component C that is an organic solvent capable of dissolving the polymer and including ether or ketone compound of R.sup.1—O—R.sup.2 and/or R.sup.1—C(═O)—R.sup.2 (where R.sup.1 is a linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl group or fluorinated alkyl group having a carbon atom number of 3 to 16; and R.sup.2 is a linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl group or fluorinated alkyl group having a carbon atom number of 1 to 16), a method of forming a resist pattern using the coating liquid, and a method for forming a reverse pattern using the coating liquid.

There is provided a new coating liquid for resist pattern coating. A coating liquid for resist pattern coating comprising a component A that is a polymer including at least one hydroxy group or carboxy group; a component B that is a sulfonic acid of A-SO.sub.3H (where A is a linear or branched alkyl group or fluorinated alkyl group having a carbon atom number of 1 to 16, an aromatic group having at least one of the alkyl group or the fluorinated alkyl group as a substituent, or a C.sub.4-16 alicyclic group optionally having a substituent); and a component C that is an organic solvent capable of dissolving the polymer and including ether or ketone compound of R.sup.1—O—R.sup.2 and/or R.sup.1—C(═O)—R.sup.2 (where R.sup.1 is a linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl group or fluorinated alkyl group having a carbon atom number of 3 to 16; and R.sup.2 is a linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl group or fluorinated alkyl group having a carbon atom number of 1 to 16), a method of forming a resist pattern using the coating liquid, and a method for forming a reverse pattern using the coating liquid.

A HMF-based phenol formaldehyde resin is provided. The HMF-based phenol formaldehyde resin has the formula ##STR00001##
In the formula, A includes non-substituted phenol, m-cresol, p-cresol, hydroquinone or disubstituted phenol, B includes phosphate ester, phosphate, phosphine oxide, phosphinate ester or phosphinate, and n is 3-20, wherein the disubstituted phenol has substituted groups including H, halide, C.sub.1-C.sub.20 alkyl group, C.sub.1-C.sub.20 alkenyl group, C.sub.1-C.sub.20 cycloalkyl group, C.sub.1-C.sub.20 cycloalkenyl group, homocyclic aromatic group or heterocyclic aromatic group.

A HMF-based phenol formaldehyde resin is provided. The HMF-based phenol formaldehyde resin has the formula ##STR00001##
In the formula, A includes non-substituted phenol, m-cresol, p-cresol, hydroquinone or disubstituted phenol, B includes phosphate ester, phosphate, phosphine oxide, phosphinate ester or phosphinate, and n is 3-20, wherein the disubstituted phenol has substituted groups including H, halide, C.sub.1-C.sub.20 alkyl group, C.sub.1-C.sub.20 alkenyl group, C.sub.1-C.sub.20 cycloalkyl group, C.sub.1-C.sub.20 cycloalkenyl group, homocyclic aromatic group or heterocyclic aromatic group.