Abstract: The invention is directed to an alkali-soluble novolak binder resin composition made by addition condensation reaction of a phenolic mixture with at least one aldehyde source, the feedstock of said phenolic mixture for the reaction comprising about 33 to about 83 mole percent of meta-cresol; about 1 to about 4 mole percent of para-cresol; about 10 to about 60 mole percent of a phenolic monomer selected from the group consisting of 2,3-xylenol, 3,4-xylenol, 3,5-xylenol and mixtures thereof; and about 5 to about 55 mole percent of a methoxy phenol monomer, the amount of aldehyde source being from about 40 to about 200 percent of the stoichiometric amount needed to react with all of the phenolic moieties in said phenolic mixture, and the alkali-soluble novolak binder resin having a weight average molecular weight (M.sub.w) of about 3,000 to about 20,000 with a molecular weight polydispersity (M.sub.w /M.sub.n) of 1.5-4.0. The invention is also directed to a positive working photoresist made from the composition.

Abstract: A photoresist stripping composition containing:(a) 20-70% by weight of an organic polar solvent having a dipole moment of more than 3.5;(b) 70-20% by weight of alkanolamine compounds; and(c) 0.1-10% by weight of 6,6',6"-(1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triyltriimino) tris(hexanoic acid).

Abstract: A process for the preparation of phenolic resins having acid-labile acetal or ketal protecting groups by reacting a phenolic resin with an enol ether in the presence of an acidic catalyst and subsequently treating the reaction mixture with a basic anion exchanger gives heat-resistant polymers which, in combination with acid photogenerators, produce radiation-sensitive compositions of high processing stability with a greatly improved shelf life.

Abstract: A photoresist stripping composition containing:(a) 20-70% by weight of an organic polar solvent having a dipole moment of more than 3.5;(b) 70-20% by weight of alkanolamine compounds; and(c) 0.1-10% by weight of 2,2'[[methyl-1H-benzothiazol-1-yl)methyl]imino]bis-ethanol.

Abstract: A process of removing trace metal impurities from an impure resist component solution comprising the steps of:(1) forming an impure resist component solution containing trace amounts of dissolved metallic impurities, the resist component solvent selected from the group consisting of ethyl lactate, ethyl 3-ethoxypropionate, methyl 3-methoxypropionate, propylene glycol methyl ethyl acetate, or mixtures thereof;(2) contacting said impure resist component solution with a mixture of cyclohexane and isopropyl acetate and with an aqueous acidic solution for a sufficient amount of time to form a first two-phase reaction mixture comprising a first aqueous phase containing metallic impurities extracted from said impure resist component solution and a first organic phase containing said resist component solution with a reduced amount of trace metal impurities;(3) separating said first aqueous phase from said first organic phase;(4) contacting said first organic phase with a mixture of water and resist component solvent