The present invention relates to new anion exchange polymers and (blend) membranes made from polymers containing highly fluorinated aromatic groups by means of nucleophilic substitution and processes for their production by means of nucleophilic aromatic substitution and their areas of application in membrane processes, in particular in electrochemical membrane processes such as fuel cells, electrolysis and redox flow batteries.

The present invention relates to new anion exchange polymers and (blend) membranes made from polymers containing highly fluorinated aromatic groups by means of nucleophilic substitution and processes for their production by means of nucleophilic aromatic substitution and their areas of application in membrane processes, in particular in electrochemical membrane processes such as fuel cells, electrolysis and redox flow batteries.

A polymer comprising recurring units derived from vinylanthraquinone, recurring units containing a benzene ring having a hydroxyl-bearing tertiary alkyl group bonded thereto, and recurring units derived from hydroxystyrene is provided. The polymer is used as a base resin to formulate a negative resist composition having a high resolution and minimal LER.

Provided are an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition including a compound (A) whose dissolution rate in an alkali developer decreases by the action of an acid, a resin (B) having a group that decomposes by the action of an alkali developer to increase the solubility in the alkali developer and having at least one of a fluorine atom or a silicon atom, and a resin (C) having a phenolic hydroxyl group, different from the resin (B), an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive film and a mask blank, each formed using the actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition, a pattern forming method using the actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device.

A pattern forming method includes the following steps (a) to (d): (a) applying an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition including a resin capable of increasing a polarity by the action of an acid onto a substrate to form a resist film, (b) forming an upper layer film on the resist film, (c) exposing the resist film having the upper layer film formed thereon, and (d) developing the exposed resist film using an organic developer to form a pattern, in which the resin capable of increasing the polarity by the action of an acid includes an acid-decomposable repeating unit having an acid-leaving group a having 4 to 7 carbon atoms, and the maximum value of the number of carbon atoms and the protection rate of the acid-leaving group a satisfy specific conditions.

A pattern forming method includes the following steps (a) to (d): (a) applying an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition including a resin capable of increasing a polarity by the action of an acid onto a substrate to form a resist film, (b) forming an upper layer film on the resist film, (c) exposing the resist film having the upper layer film formed thereon, and (d) developing the exposed resist film using an organic developer to form a pattern, in which the resin capable of increasing the polarity by the action of an acid includes an acid-decomposable repeating unit having an acid-leaving group a having 4 to 7 carbon atoms, and the maximum value of the number of carbon atoms and the protection rate of the acid-leaving group a satisfy specific conditions.

A polymer comprising recurring units derived from vinylanthraquinone, recurring units derived from acid labile group-substituted hydroxystyrene, and recurring units derived from hydroxystyrene is provided. The polymer is used as a base resin to formulate a positive resist composition having a high resolution and minimal LER.

The present application relates to a block copolymer and its use. The present application can provides a block copolymer that has an excellent self assembling property or phase separation property and therefore can be used in various applications and its use.

Polymers comprising at least one unit of formula (1) wherein n is 0 or 1, m and p are independently from each other 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, provided that the sum of n, m and p is at least 2, and n and p are not 0 at the same time, Ar.sup.1 and Ar.sup.2 are independently from each other C.sub.6-14-arylene or C.sub.6-14-aryl, which may be substituted with 1 to 4 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1-30-alkyl, C.sub.2-30-alkenyl, C.sub.2-30-alkynyl, C.sub.5-8-cycloalkyl, C.sub.6-14-aryl and 5 to 14 membered heteroaryl, and X.sup.1, X.sup.2 and X.sup.3 are independently from each other and at each occurrence O or S, compositions comprising these polymers, and electronic devices comprising a layer formed from the compositions. Preferably, the electronic device is an organic field effect transistor and the layer is the dielectric layer.

##STR00001##

The present invention provides a conductive polymer composite including: (A) a π-conjugated polymer, and (B) a dopant polymer which contains a repeating unit “a” shown by the following general formula (1) and has a weight-average molecular weight in the range of 1,000 to 500,000. There can be provided a conductive polymer composite that has excellent filterability and film-formability by spin coating, and also can form a conductive film having high transparency and flatness when the film is formed therefrom.

##STR00001##