| abstract |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the risk of adverse reaction with environmental contaminants and increase the tolerance for variable or long delay between exposure and post-exposure bake or post-exposure bake and development. It also eliminates any degradation to the profile, stabilizes solubility in solvents and provides a long shelf life in solution at room temperature. SOLUTION: As a microlithographic resist composition, a film-forming polymer in which at least a part of repetitive hydroxyl groups chemically bonded is o-substituted by the acid labile compound containing a ketal component, A composition comprising a polymer that forms an acid upon exposure to light and is chemically bonded to a polymer is used. The acid generated upon exposure causes cleavage of at least a portion of the compound, including the ketal component, and the exposed composition becomes selectively more soluble in aqueous base compared to the unexposed composition. |