There are free radical scavengers of formula (P.sub.m-L).sub.n-T.sub.q. Also provided are negative-working lithographic printing plate precursors comprising a hydrophilic substrate and a NIR photopolymerizable or UV-violet photopolymerizable imageable layer coated on the hydrophilic layer, the imageable layer also being photopolymerizable by visible light, the imageable layer having an outer surface and a thickness, the outer surface of the imageable layer being uniformly, and partially or completely crosslinked down to a depth corresponding to at most about 70% of the thickness of the imageable layer.

A mask element for flexographic printing is provided. The mask element can be used for preparing a mask that has a mask image. The mask element can include: a transparent polymeric carrier sheet; a barrier layer on the transparent polymeric carrier sheet, wherein the barrier layer comprises non-crosslinked nitrocellulose; and an imaging layer on the barrier layer, wherein the imaging layer includes a non-silver halide thermally-ablatable material comprising non-crosslinked nitrocellulose, carbon black, and an infrared (IR) dye. In some aspects, the mask element further includes a transparent overcoat layer on the imaging layer. The mask can include: imaged regions in the imaging layer, wherein the imaged regions have optical apertures that are substantially devoid of the carbon black and non-crosslinked nitrocellulose thereof; and non-imaged regions in the imaging layer, wherein the non-imaged regions have the non-crosslinked nitrocellulose, carbon black, and infrared dye.

The present invention is a resist material containing: (i) a compound (i-1), which is a (partial) condensate or a (partial) hydrolysis-condensate of a metal compound shown by the following general formula (A-1), or a compound (i-2), which is a reaction product of the compound (i-1) and a dihydric or trihydric alcohol shown by the following general formula (A-2), (ii) a photo-acid generator, (iii) a basic compound, and (iv) an organic solvent. An object of the present invention is to provide a metal-containing resist material having high sensitivity and high resolution particularly in EUV and electron beam lithography; and a patterning process using this material.

M(OR.sup.1A).sub.4 (A-1)

R.sup.2A(OH).sub.m (A-2)

The invention relates to a recording element which is suitable for producing high-resolution flexographic printing plates by means of digital information transmission and which can be imaged by means of actinic laser radiation, containing or consisting of the following layers: (A) a carrier film, (B) a photopolymerizable layer/relief layer which can be crosslinked by means of actinic radiation, (C) optionally an intermediate layer which is transparent to actinic radiation as a separating element, and (D) a template layer which is capable of recording and comprises a monomer diazonium compound or (Da) an imaged template layer. The invention likewise relates to a semi-finished product, to a method for producing the recording element, and to a method for producing flexographic printing plates.

A method of making a lithographic printing plate includes the steps of (i) image wise exposing a lithographic printing plate precursor with a digitally modulated light source so as to obtain image areas in the exposed parts of the precursor and non-image areas in the non-exposed parts of the precursor, the precursor including a hydrophilic substrate and a photosensitive layer applied onto the substrate, the photosensitive layer including a diazonium compound; and (ii) contacting the exposed precursor with an aqueous solution including a water-soluble hydrophilic polymer and/or surfactant and having a pH between 3 and 9 thereby first removing the photosensitive layer in the non-image areas and depositing the hydrophilic polymer and/or surfactant onto the substrate in the non-image areas of the printing plate precursor.

The present invention is a resist material containing: (i) a compound (i-1), which is a (partial) condensate or a (partial) hydrolysis-condensate of a metal compound shown by the following general formula (A-1), or a compound (i-2), which is a reaction product of the compound (i-1) and a dihydric or trihydric alcohol shown by the following general formula (A-2), (ii) a photo-acid generator, (iii) a basic compound, and (iv) an organic solvent. An object of the present invention is to provide a metal-containing resist material having high sensitivity and high resolution particularly in EUV and electron beam lithography; and a patterning process using this material.
M(OR.sup.1A).sub.4(A-1)
R.sup.2A(OH).sub.m(A-2)

The invention relates to the field of materials technology and provides a modified nano-silica and a method for preparing the same, a pigment dispersion and a photosensitive resin composition, so as to solve the problem that conventional nano-silica cannot crosslink with other polymeric materials, and pigment dispersions are apt to aggregate and have a poor film-forming property. The modified nano-silica according to the invention has unsaturated double bonds on the surface thereof and can crosslink with other polymeric materials, such that the pigment dispersion comprising the modified nano-silica can effectively prevent agglomeration and has a good film-forming property, and the photosensitive resin composition comprising the pigment dispersion can reduce the thermal expansion of a film made thereby, as well as the occurrence of shrinkage and collapse phenomena in the surface of the film, and enhance the heat-resistance, chemical-resistance, mechanical properties and abrasion-resistance of the film.

A resist composition including a base component (A) which exhibits changed solubility in a developing solution under action of acid and an acid-generator component (B) which generates acid upon exposure, the acid-generator component (B) including at least one acid generator (B1) represented by general formula (b1) shown below, at least one acid generator (B2) represented by general formula (b2) shown below, and at least one acid generator (B3) represented by general formula (b3) shown below (wherein IV to R.sup.3 each independently represents a cyclic group which may have a substituent, a chain alkyl group, or a chain alkenyl group; Y.sup.1 represents a single bond or a divalent linking group containing an oxygen atom; M.sub.1.sup.+ to M.sub.3.sup.+ represents a monovalent organic cation; n represents an integer of 1 to 4; m represents an integer of 0 to 4; provided that, when m is 0, the carbon atom adjacent to the sulfur atom within R.sup.2 has no fluorine atom bonded thereto).

R.sup.1Y.sup.1(CF.sub.2).sub.nSO.sub.3.sup.?M.sub.1.sup.+(b1)

R.sup.2(CH.sub.2).sub.mSO.sub.3.sup.?M.sub.2.sup.+(b2)

R.sup.3COO.sup.?M.sub.3.sup.+(b3)

This application relates to lithographic printing plates, methods of making said plates, and precursor plates for use in said methods.

A photosensitive resin composition for dry etching including a water-soluble resin, a photopolymerizable monomer, and a photopolymerization initiator, and a method for producing a resist pattern for dry etching. The method includes forming a resin layer with the photosensitive resin composition on a substrate; exposing the resin layer with positional selectivity; and developing the exposed resin layer with water at a temperature less than 50 C., so as to form a resist pattern.