Abstract: A photosensitive monomer including a methylene butyrolactone derivative represented by the following formula: wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or alkyl group, R2 is an acid-labile group, X is a hydrogen atom, or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and Y is a substituted or unsubstitued alkyl group or alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms.

Abstract: A printing plate is provided including a support assembly and a relief imaged surface formed directly on the surface of the support assembly by digital photopolymerization. The support assembly may be in the form of a cylindrical sleeve or a flat polymeric base. The printing plate is formed by providing a liquid photopolymer on the surface of the support assembly and irradiating the polymer with a source of actinic to form the relief image. The printing plate is reimagable and may be used in flexographic printing processes as well as other printing applications.

Abstract: A silver halide photographic emulsion comprising silver halide grains, wherein 50% or more of the total number of all the silver halide grains are occupied by tabular grains satisfying the following requirements (i) composed of silver iodobromide or silver chloroiodobromide, and having (111) faces as main planes, (ii) having an equivalent circle diameter of 1.0 &mgr;m or more and a thickness of 0.1 &mgr;m or less, (iii) having 10 or more dislocation lines at a fringe portion thereof, and (iv) composed of a core portion substantially not containing any dislocation line and a shell portion containing dislocation lines, and the shell portion having a thickness of 0.01 &mgr;m or more as measured in a direction perpendicular to the main plane.

Abstract: A chemical amplification type positive resist composition that enables a resist pattern free from deformation in a side wall thereof and excellent in evenness and is excellent in sensitivity as well as resolution is provided and the chemical amplification type positive resist composition comprises a resin which has a polymerization unit derived from p-hydroxystyrene and a polymerization unit having a group unstable against acid, and is insoluble or hardly soluble in an alkaline medium itself but becoming alkaline-soluble after the acid-unstable group being cleaved by the action of the generated acid; an acid generating agent; and a compound represented by the following formula (I): wherein R1 and R2 each independently represents an alkyl group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms wherein at least 3 hydrogen atoms are substituted by fluorine atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms.

Abstract: The present invention includes a radiation-imageable element for lithographic printing having a hydrophilic anodized aluminum base with a surface having pores and a image-forming layer having polymer particles coated on the aluminum base. The ratio of the average pore diameter to the average particle diameter is from 0.4:1 to 10:1. The present invention further includes a method of producing the imaged element. The method includes the steps of imagewise exposing the radiation-imageable element to radiation to produce exposed and unexposed regions and contacting the imagewise exposed radiation-imageable element and a developer to remove the exposed or the unexposed regions.

Abstract: A laser imageable article includes an imageable layer that comprises the reaction product of a metal precursor and a reactant. The imageable article also includes a first boundary layer on a first side of the imageable layer, the first boundary layer being substantially transparent to laser radiation, and a second boundary layer on a second side of the imageable layer. The imageable layer may be imaged with a laser through the first boundary layer while maintaining the continuity of the first boundary layer. In a preferred embodiment, the imageable layer comprises the reaction product of an ion of one or more metals selected from columns 8, 9, and 10 of the periodic table of elements and a reducing agent selected from hypophosphorus acid and salts thereof, sodium borohydride, and dimethylamine borane. One preferred embodiment of the imageable layer comprises from 1 to 30 mole percent phosphorus and up to 99 mole percent nickel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a heat mode-compatible planographic printing plate comprising a photosensitive layer which is capable of recording with an infrared laser and formed by applying a photosensitive layer coating solution onto a hydrophilic support and then drying the photosensitive layer coating solution, the photosensitive layer coating solution being obtained by dissolving or dispersing I) an IR absorber, II) a polymerization initiator, and III) a compound having a polymerizable unsaturated group in a solvent, wherein the residual solvent in the photosensitive layer is 5% by weight or less relative to the weight of the photosensitive layer.

Abstract: Onium salts of arylsulfonyloxynaphthalenesulfonate anions with iodonium or sulfonium cations are novel. A chemically amplified resist composition comprising the onium salt as a photoacid generator is suited for microfabrication, especially by deep UV lithography because of many advantages including improved resolution, improved focal latitude, minimized line width variation or shape degradation even on long-term PED, minimized debris after coating, development and peeling, and improved pattern profile after development.

Abstract: A positive resist composition comprises: (A) a resin having an aliphatic cyclic hydrocarbon group and increasing the solubility to an alkali developer by the action of an acid; (B) a compound generating an acid upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation; and (C) a nitrogen-containing compound having in the molecule at least one partial structure represented by following formula (I).

Abstract: A positive-type planographic printing original plate for direct plate-making with an infrared laser, with excellent latitude in forming an image by development, and excellent flaw resistance. The planographic printing original plate includes, on a support, a positive-type recording layer whose solubility with respect to an alkaline aqueous solution is increased by infrared laser exposure. The recording layer contains an alkali-soluble resin, which has a fluorine atom in the molecule, and an infrared absorbing agent. The alkali-soluble resin can be provided by introducing at least one substituent having a fluorine atom to a known alkali-soluble polymer compound.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of producing a water-soluble chain-extended gelatin subjecting a source a source gelatin having a first isoelectric point, in aqueous solution, to a partial crosslinking reaction to form a reaction mixture comprising a partially crosslinked gelatin having a second isoelectric point, filtering the reaction mixture, adjusting a pH value of the filtered reaction mixture to a value equivalent to the second isoelectric point ±1.5, and concentrating, drying and pulverizing the pH-adjusted reaction mixture.

Abstract: An epoxy based resin which exhibits good laser ablation and good adherence to a substrate such a copper is provided by adding to the resin a dye or dyes having substantial energy absorption at the emission wave lengths of lasers used to laser ablate the resin. The resin with the dye or dyes included is coated onto a substrate and cured, or laminated onto a substrate in the cured condition. The required openings are formed in the cured film by laser ablation. This allows for the use of optimum techniques to be used to form micro vias.

Abstract: A method of imaging acid in a chemically amplified photoresist comprising the steps of: (a) exposing the chemically amplified photoresist to radiation thereby generating an acid, the chemically amplified photoresist comprising at least one species of pH-dependent fluorophore that fluoresces in the presence of the acid, the pH-dependent fluorophore being present at a concentration that enables the fluorescence from individual molecules of the pH-dependent fluorophore to be individually resolved; and (b) generating an image of the acid in the photoresist, the image comprising at least one or a plurality of discrete points corresponding to the fluorescent emission from an individual molecule or molecules of the pH-dependent fluorophore.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photosensitive lithographic printing plate which displays superior ink receptivity and superior film strength of the photosensitive layer (image area). The photosensitive lithographic printing plate is produced by providing, on top of a support, a photosensitive composition comprising a fluororesin having a fluoro aliphatic group of 3 to 20 carbon atoms in which at least two of three terminal hydrogen atoms are substituted for fluorine atoms, and an ethylene based unsaturated group, as well as a negative photosensitive compound.

Abstract: Process for the production of a resist coating, in which (a) a substrate is coated with a resist composition which comprises at least one component which absorbs radiation in the near infrared region with warming of the coating; and (b) the resist composition or a composition derived therefrom and obtained during the process is subjected at least once during the process to thermal treatment with the aid of radiation in the near infrared region.

Abstract: A color negative photographic element especially suited for preloading in a one-time-use camera is disclosed. The element is capable of producing images that, when developed, converted to electronic form, and then converted to a viewable form, exhibit excellent color, reduced granularity, and improved sharpness. The photographic elements contain blue, green, and red recording layer units capable of forming spectrally differentiated dye images. The layer units are substantially free of colored masking coupler, and each exhibits a dye image gamma of less than 1.5. The element exhibits an exposure latitude of at least 2.7 log E. The gamma ratios of the blue, green, and red recording layer units are between 0.80 and 1.2. Chemical processing of the element is also disclosed.

Abstract: Provided is a plate-making method for producing a waterless lithographic printing plate, wherein the method comprises: (I) an exposing step of imagewise exposure of the precursor with a laser with a controlled condition that a portion of a laser-exposed area in a photo-thermal conversion layer in the precursor remains in the photo-thermal conversion layer of the finished printing plate, and (II) a developing step of removing a silicone rubber layer in the laser-exposed area to form an image on the printing plate. The precursor to be processed comprises (A) a support, (B) an undercoat layer formed by applying onto the support a coating liquid that contains a water-soluble or water-dispersible polymer and water as a solvent, and then drying the coating liquid, (C) a photo-thermal conversion layer which comprises polyurethane and a photo-thermal converting agent; and (D) a silicone rubber layer, laminated in that order.

Abstract: A chemical amplification, positive resist composition is provided comprising (A) a photoacid generator and (B) a resin which changes its solubility in an alkali developer under the action of acid and has substituents of the formula: Ph—(CH2)nOCH(CH2CH3)— wherein Ph is phenyl and n=1 or 2. The composition has many advantages including improved focal latitude, improved resolution, minimized line width variation or shape degradation even on long-term PED, minimized defect left after coating, development and stripping, and improved pattern profile after development and is suited for microfabrication by any lithography, especially deep UV lithography.

Abstract: The present invention is an improvement on the LIGA microfabrication process wherein a buffer layer is applied to the upper or working surface of a substrate prior to the placement of a resist onto the surface of the substrate. The buffer layer is made from an inert low-Z material (low atomic weight), a material that absorbs secondary X-rays emissions from the substrate that are generated from the substrate upon exposure to a primary X-rays source. Suitable materials for the buffer layer include polyamides and polyimide. The preferred polyimide is synthesized form pyromellitic anhydride and oxydianiline (PMDA-ODA).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a radiation-sensitive resin composition for spacer is a copolymer comprising derivative units, an addition polymerizable monomer having at least one ethylenically unsaturated double bond, radiation-sensitive initiator and solvent, wherein said copolymer comprising (a1) 5 wt %-50 wt % of unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer derivative unit; (a2) 10 wt %-70 wt % of epoxy-containing unsaturated monomer derivative unit; and (a3) 0 wt %-70 wt % of copolymerizable unsaturated monomer derivative unit other than the above monomer derivative units (a1) and (a2). The content of said copolymer [A] which has a molecular weight of 800-7,000 and which has a molecular weight of greater than 70,000 are determined to account for 10 wt %-23 wt % and less than 5 wt %, respectively, based on the total weight of said copolymer[A].