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 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.

Method of forming pattern in photoresist layer includes forming photoresist layer over substrate, selectively exposing photoresist layer to actinic radiation forming latent pattern. Latent pattern is developed by applying developer to form pattern. Photoresist layer includes photoresist composition including polymer: ##STR00001##
A.sub.1, A.sub.2, L are direct bond, C4-C30 aromatic, C4-C30 alkyl, C4-C30 cycloalkyl, C4-C30 hydroxylalkyl, C4-C30 alkoxy, C4-C30 alkoxyl alkyl, C4-C30 acetyl, C4-C30 acetylalkyl, C4-C30 alkyl carboxyl, C4-C30 cycloalkyl carboxyl, C4-C30 hydrocarbon ring, C4-C30 heterocyclic, —COO—, A1 and A2 are not both direct bonds, and are unsubstituted or substituted with a halogen, carbonyl, or hydroxyl; A.sub.3 is C6-C14 aromatic, wherein A.sub.3 is unsubstituted or substituted with halogen, carbonyl, or hydroxyl; R.sub.1 is acid labile group; Ra, Rb are H or C1-C3 alkyl; R.sub.f is direct bond or C1-C5 fluorocarbon; PAG is photoacid generator; 0≤x/(x+y+z)≤1, 0≤y/(x+y+z)≤1, and 0≤z/(x+y+z)≤1.

An object of the present invention is to provide a photosensitive resin composition having good liquid repellency. The photosensitive resin composition of the present invention at least contains a fluororesin having a crosslinking site, a solvent, and a photopolymerization initiator, and the fluororesin contains a repeating unit derived from a hydrocarbon having a fluorine atom.

An object of the present invention is to provide a photosensitive resin composition having good liquid repellency. The photosensitive resin composition of the present invention at least contains a fluororesin having a crosslinking site, a solvent, and a photopolymerization initiator, and the fluororesin contains a repeating unit derived from a hydrocarbon having a fluorine atom.

A fluorocarboxylic acid-containing polymer comprising recurring units having formula (A1), but not acid labile group-containing recurring units is provided. A resist composition comprising the same offers a high sensitivity and is unsusceptible to nano-bridging or pattern collapse independent of whether it is of positive or negative tone. ##STR00001##

A fluorocarboxylic acid-containing polymer comprising recurring units having formula (A1), but not acid labile group-containing recurring units is provided. A resist composition comprising the same offers a high sensitivity and is unsusceptible to nano-bridging or pattern collapse independent of whether it is of positive or negative tone. ##STR00001##

A hard mask-forming composition which forms a hard mask used in lithography, including: a resin containing an aromatic ring and a polar group; and a compound containing at least one of an oxazine ring fused to an aromatic ring, and a fluorene ring.

A hard mask-forming composition which forms a hard mask used in lithography, including: a resin containing an aromatic ring and a polar group; and a compound containing at least one of an oxazine ring fused to an aromatic ring, and a fluorene ring.

A negative resist composition comprising a polymer comprising recurring units having at least two acid-eliminatable hydroxyl or alkoxy groups in the molecule is effective for forming a resist pattern having a high resolution and minimal LER while minimizing defects.