Abstract: This invention provides a pattern formation material for electron beam lithography, which contains an alkali-soluble resin, a photoacid generator, and dissolution inhibiting groups, and also provides a pattern formation method and exposure mask fabrication method using the material. As the dissolution inhibiting groups, this invention uses a first dissolution inhibiting group which increases the sensitivity of the pattern formation material when the material is left to stand in a vacuum after an electron beam irradiation, and a second dissolution inhibiting group which decreases the sensitivity under the same condition. In this invention, the ratio of the first dissolution inhibiting group to the second dissolution inhibiting group is so adjusted that the size of an alkali-soluble portion, which is made soluble in an alkali solution by an electron beam irradiation, is substantially held constant independently of the standing time in a vacuum.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive composition comprising a compound of a specific general formula which generates an acid or radical when heated, and a compound whose physical and chemical properties are irreversibly changed by an acid or radical.

Abstract: The invention provides a polymer comprising recurring units containing bridged aliphatic rings in the backbone and having a hydroxyl, acyloxy or alkoxylcarbonyloxy group as well as a lactone structure bonded through a spacer, the polymer having a weight average molecular weight of 1,000-500,000. A resist composition comprising the polymer as a base resin is sensitive to high-energy radiation, has excellent sensitivity, resolution, and etching resistance, and lends itself to micropatterning with electron beams or deep-UV.

Abstract: This invention relates to a photographic element comprising at least one silver halide containing imaging layer and a cushioning layer below said at least one imaging layer having a compression percentage of between 5 and 25%.

Abstract: A resist composition comprising (a) at least two kinds of polymers which become alkali-soluble by the action of an acid, (b) as a photoacid generator, a combination of an alkylsulfonyl diazomethane compound and a triarylsulfonium arylsulfonate compound or a diaryliodonium arylsulfonate compound, and (c) a solvent is excellent as a chemically amplified resist composition to give excellent pattern shape and very fine line-and-space, particularly when exposed to lights having a wavelength of 300 nm or less.

Abstract: Active particles which when incorporated into a photosensitive composition containing base resin and diazonium-series photosensitizer provide improvement in at least one or both of sensitivity and resolutionn. The active particles include a particulate carrier, such as silica sol, and an aromatic unit directly or indirectly bonded to the carrier. The aromatic unit has a phenolic hydroxyl group and no substituent in at least one of the o- and p-positions, in relation to the phenolic hydroxyl group. The active particles, when incorporated into the photosensitive composition can, after exposure, increase solubility difference between the exposed and non-exposed areas.

Abstract: A lithographic printing plate precursor which comprises a support having provided thereon a layer comprising a hydrophilic medium, wherein the layer comprising a hydrophilic medium contains a hydrophobitization precursor having a hydrophilic surface and a light/heat converting agent which is hydrophilic in itself, or at least on the surface.

Abstract: A chemical amplification type resist composition uses as the base resin a polymer having a molecular weight dispersity of 1.0 to 1.5 which is a polymer comprising recurring units of formula (1) and recurring units of formula (2) or a polymer comprising recurring units of formula (2) wherein R1 is alkyl, alkoxyalkyl, acetyl or carbonylalkoxy, 0<p/(p+q)≦1, R2 is hydrogen or methyl, and R3 is a tertiary hydrocarbon group of 4 to 30 carbon atoms. By virtue of the narrow dispersity effect of the polymer, the resist composition is improved in resolution as compared with prior art base resins having a wide dispersity. Advantages including a high resolution, good pattern profile and storage stability are obtained.

Abstract: There are provided a coating liquid for providing an infrared sensitive layer on a photosensitive resin surface, which is obtained by dissolving or dispersing in a specific ester solvent a binder polymer soluble in the solvent, an infrared absorbing substance and, if desired, a non-infrared opaque substance, and a process for obtaining a seamless photosensitive resin sleeve printing plate, which comprises using the same.

Abstract: A negative image-recording material for heat-mode exposure, which is able to form images by heat-mode exposure, comprises (A) a polyurethane resin having at least one or more side-chain branches of the following general formulae (1) to (3) which polyurethane resin is soluble in an alkaline aqueous solution, (B) a photo-thermal converting agent, and (C) a compound capable of generating a radical through heat-mode exposure to light of a wavelength which can be absorbed by the photo-thermal converting agent. In formulae (1) to (3), R1 to R11 each independently represents a monovalent organic group; X and Y each independently represents an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, or —N(R12)—; Z represents an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, —N(R13)—, or an optionally-substituted phenylene group; R12 represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group; and R13 represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group.

Abstract: An aqueous developer for lithographic printing plates and a method for developing the printing plates are disclosed. The developer comprises an organic dispersing agent. The developer develops multi-layer printing plates quickly, with high throughput, but with no sludge formation in the developing process.

Abstract: A self-contained photohardenable imaging assembly comprising in order: a first transparent support; an imaging layer comprising a developer material and a plurality of photohardenable microcapsules encapsulating a color precursor, and a second support, wherein an intermediate resilient layer is place beneath at least one support and above said imaging layer, which intermediate resilient layer has a thickness of 10 to 50 microns and comprises a relatively resilient material compared to the one support. The imaging assembly has been found to provide better image quality and more consistence sensitometric response to pressure development.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel styrene-anhydride copolymer containing amido group, which comprises the following repeating units (I) and (II): wherein R represents a residue of (meth)acrylate monomer containing hydroxyl group; R1 and R2 are the same or different and each represents a C1-6 alkyl group, or R1 and R2 are taken together with the nitrogen atom to which they attach to form a 5- to 6-member heterocyclic group containing nitrogen. The present invention also relates to process for producing the above copolymer and to the use of the copolymer as a photo resist in an alkaline soluble development of an irradiative reaction and as a solder resistant photo resist in printed circuit boards.

Abstract: A resist composition comprising a binder resin and a radiation-sensitive compound. The binder resin is an alkali-soluble resin or becomes alkali-soluble resin by the action of the radiation-sensitive compound after irradiation, and has a polymerization unit represented by the following formula (I): wherein, R1 represents a fluoroalkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms and having at least one fluorine atom, and R2 represents hydrogen atom or an acyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms.

Abstract: A photopolymerizable composition which is highly sensitive to light in the visible region and long-wavelength regions including the near infrared region, is not sensitive to light in the ultraviolet region, and has excellent handling efficiency under day light fluorescent lamps. The composition contains an ethylenically unsaturated compound, a dye which has a basic structure, a photopolymerization initiator, and a photopolymerizable lithographic printing plate which has a support and a layer of the photopolymerizable composition on its surface.

Abstract: A high velocity jet of aqueous silver salt solution through the first tubing and a high velocity jet of aqueous halide salt solution through the second tubing are forced to merge in the merging zone to induce mixing action by means of kinetic energy of the fluid in the merging zone, aqueous hydrophilic dispersant solution in the third tubing is then supplied continuously between the two high velocity jets which have already merged to mix the three solutions in the merging zone instantaneously, and the mixed solution containing silver halide particles which have been formed by reaction caused by the mixing is immediately removed out of the merging zone.

Abstract: A lithographic printing plate precursor comprising: a support having a water-wettable surface; and a heat-sensitive layer comprising a first resin having a hydrogen-donating group and a second resin having a hydrogen-accepting group, wherein at least one of the first resin and the second resin is particles.

Abstract: Disclosed is a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material including at least one red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, at least one green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, and at least one blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer on a support, and having an ISO sensitivity of 640 or more, wherein the material exhibits a color saturation evaluation value &eegr;, represented by equation (I) below, of −15 dB or more. &eegr;=10 log(1/VT) [VT=(⅙)×((62−Y1)2+(62−Y2)2+(62−Y3)2+(62−Y4)2+(62−Y5)2+(62−Y6)2)]  (I) In Formula (I), each of Y1 to Y6 is a value obtained by exposing 12 colors of a Macbeth color chart with six exposure amounts, from −1 under to +4 over, measuring the saturation of each resultant color, and averaging the data (chroma values) for a corresponding exposure amount.

Abstract: A method of making a negative-working heat-sensitive lithographic printing plate precursor is disclosed, the method comprising the steps of (a) preparing an aqueous dispersion comprising particles of a hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer A which is not soluble or swellable in an aqueous alkaline developer and particles of a polymer B which is soluble or swellable in an aqueous alkaline developer but not soluble or swellable in water, wherein the glass transition temperature of polymer A is higher than the softening temperature of polymer B; (b) applying the aqueous dispersion on a lithographic substrate having a hydrophilic surface, thereby obtaining an image-recording layer; (c) overall heating the image-recording layer at a temperature which is higher than the softening temperature of polymer B without inducing coalescense of the particles of polymer A. The printing plate precursor has improved mechanical resistance.

Abstract: Disclosed is a chemically amplified positive photoresist composition including a multi-component copolymer having a polystyrene-reduced weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 3,000 to 50,000 and a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) of 1.0 to 3.0, a low molecular weight additive, an acid generator, and a solvent. A resist composition comprising the additive may provide a resist pattern excellent in sensitivity as well as adhesion to substrate and dry etching resistance. Such a resist composition is a promising material greatly suitable for use in the fabrication of semiconductor devices that are expected to have further fineness. Especially, the resist composition is suitable for KrF or ArF excimer laser lithography and thus useful in the fine engineering of less than 0.20 micron patterns.