Abstract: A method of forming an image using a photothermographic material containing a support having thereon an image forming layer which contains an organic silver salt, silver halide grains, a binder and a reducing agent, the method including the steps of: imagewise exposing the photothermographic material to light to form a latent image; and simultaneously or sequentially heating the exposed photothermographic material to develop the latent image, wherein at least two matting agents are contained on one surface of the support, and an average particle size LA of Matting agent A and an average particle size LB of Matting agent B satisfy the following relationship: 1.5?LB/LA?6.0, provided that Matting agent A is the matting agent having a largest weight ratio; and Matting agent B is the matting agent having a second largest weight ratio.

Abstract: Heat-sensitive element comprising a) an optionally pretreated substrate; b) a positive working coating comprising (i) at least 40 wt.-%, based on the dry weight of the coating, of at least one polymer soluble in aqueous alkaline developer selected from novolak resins, functionalized novolak resins, polyvinylphenol resins, polyvinyl cresols and poly(meth)acrylates with phenolic and/or sulfonamide side groups, (ii) 01-20 wt.-%, based on the dry weight of the coating, of at least one (C4-C20 alkyl)phenol novolak resin insoluble in aqueous alkaline developer, and (iii) optionally at least one further component selected from polymer particles, surfactants, contrast dyes and pigments, inorganic fillers, antioxidants, print-out dyes, carboxylic acid derivatives of cellulose polymers, plasticizers and substances capable of absorbing radiation of a wavelength from the range of 650 to 1,300 nm and converting it into heat.

Abstract: A composition, method, and system for recording an image. The system includes a multiphase imaging material in which energy is absorbed by an antenna material. The absorbed energy causes the reaction of an oxidizer and a leucozine dye.

Abstract: The invention provides a photographic element, comprising a support, a photographic emulsion layer and, an antihalation underlayer and/or a pelloid layer, the antihalation underlayer and/or pelloid layer being present in an amount of 1 g/m2 or less and comprises a vehicle and a solid particle dye.

Abstract: A resist composition for liquid immersion lithography process, which comprises: (A) a polymer comprising (a1) alkali-soluble constitutional units each comprising an alicyclic group having both (i) a fluorine atom or a fluoroalkyl group and (ii) an alcoholic hydroxyl group, wherein the polymer changes in alkali-solubility due to the action of acid; and (B) an acid generator which generates acid due to exposure to light, and a method for forming a resist pattern using the resist composition. By the resist composition or the method, an adverse effect of the immersion liquid can be avoided while achieving high resolution and high depth of focus.

Abstract: A manufacturing method using an additional heat-treatment process for a donor film with improved surface roughness. The improved donor film, used in a laser induced thermal imaging method, is capable of enhancing the lifetime of products and reducing the defect rates thereof. A manufacturing method for a donor film according to the invention, includes: providing a donor film comprising a base film, a light-to-heat conversion layer and an organic film; heating the donor film to provide a heat-treated donor film; and cooling the heat-treated donor film. The surface roughness of a donor film can be improved, and the non-uniform distribution of a laser on a region subjected to the LITI process can be minimized to prevent the over- or under-transfer of an transferred organic film, etc., and the non-uniform adhesion of the transferred organic film with an acceptor substrate.

Abstract: A heat-developable photosensitive material comprising a support, providing thereon, an organic silver salt, silver halide, a binder and a reducing agent, wherein a value of Rz(E)/Rz(B) is from 0.1 to 0.7 in which Rz(E) is the ten-point average roughness of the outermost surface of the image forming layer side and Rz(B) is the ten-point average roughness of the outermost surface of the side of the support opposite to the side of the image forming layer.

Abstract: In a photosensitive resin, a photoresist composition having the photosensitive resin, and a method of forming a photoresist pattern by using the photoresist, the photosensitive resin includes a blocking group substituted for an acid. The photosensitive resin has a weight-average molecular weight of from about 6,000 up to about 8,000. The photosensitive resin has a blocking ratio of from about 5% up to about 40%.

Abstract: A polymer composite comprises a base material, and a polymer membrane provided on at least a part of the base material, the polymer membrane having at least hydrophilicity, and the polymer composite is used in a state exposed to water or a water-based solvent. The polymer membrane is a resin film formed by photo-crosslinking a photosensitive resin composition consisting essentially of a water-soluble polymer, and during crosslinking of the photosensitive resin composition, some of photosensitive groups of the photosensitive resin composition are bound to amino groups fixed to the surface of the base material, whereby the resin film is fixed to the base material.

Abstract: Both single-layer and multilayer imageable elements have a substrate and at least one imageable layer. The elements can be used to prepare either negative- or positive-working imaged elements, for example as lithographic printing plates. The imageable elements also include a radiation absorbing compound and a solvent-resistant polymer comprising pendant phosphoric acid groups, pendant adamantyl groups, or both. When this polymer comprises pendant adamantyl groups, they are connected to the polymer backbone through a urea or urethane group. The imageable elements have improved chemical resistance and thermal bakeability from the presence of the unique solvent-resistant polymer.

Abstract: A chemically amplified resist composition using an alternating copolymer of ?-trifluoroacrylic acid with norbornene as a base polymer lends itself to ArF laser lithographic micropatterning and is improved in transparency, plasma etching resistance, and line edge roughness.

Abstract: Method for producing an exposed substrate, which has at least two different image areas. The substrate is provided with at least two photoresist layers, which are adjusted to the type of image areas to be produced.

Abstract: A thermally developable photographic material containing a support, provided thereon: (i) a photosensitive layer containing photosensitive silver halide particles, and (ii) a layer containing at least one represented by formula below on one or both surfaces of the support

Abstract: A negative photoresist composition and a method of patterning a substrate through use of the negative photoresist composition. The composition includes: a radiation sensitive acid generator; a hydroxy-containing additive; and a resist polymer derived from at least one first monomer. The resist polymer may be further derived from a second monomer having an aqueous base soluble moiety. The hydroxy-containing additive has the structure of Q—OH, where Q may include one or more cyclic structures. Q—OH may have a primary alcohol structure. The acid generator is adapted to generate an acid upon exposure to radiation. The resist polymer is adapted to chemically react with the additive in the presence of the acid to generate a non-crosslinking reaction product that is insoluble in an aqueous alkaline developer solution.

Abstract: The invention provides a polymerizable composition comprising: a binder polymer containing at least an acid group having an acid dissociation constant (pKa) of 5.5 or more and a radical addition polymerizable group, and a radical-generating compound capable of generating a radical with light or heat. Further, the invention provides a negative-working planographic printing plate precursor which has a recording layer containing the polymerizable composition. Use of the polymerizable composition of the invention provides a planographic printing plate precursor that is capable of forming high-quality images free from stains in non-image portions, and further has high strength in formed image portions and excellent printing endurance.

Abstract: Disclosed is a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material comprising at least one silver halide emulsion layer on a support, which contains a fluorine compound having two or more fluorinated alkyl groups having two or more carbon atoms and 11 or less fluorine atoms and having at least one of an anionic hydrophilic group and a nonionic hydrophilic group, and has a characteristic curve drawn in orthogonal coordinates of logarithm of light exposure (x-axis) and optical density (y-axis) using equal unit lengths for the both axes, on which gamma is 5.0 or more for the optical density range of 0.3-3.0. There is provided a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material that provides high sensitivity, high contrast, favorable half tone dot quality and superior storage stability.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to positive-working coating compositions and to a substrate formed with a coating of that composition. Advantageous versions of the invention provide an infrared imageable, positive lithographic printing plate having a coating comprising a hydroxy substituted polymer, a diphenylcarbinol solubility suppressing compound and an infrared radiation absorbing compound.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for thermally transferring an imaging material from an imaging donor to a receiver to form a pattern of the imaging material on the receiver in which a transparent texturing material is thermally transferred, preferably by laser exposure, from a texturing donor to the receiver prior to thermally transferring the imaging material to the receiver.

Abstract: Numerous embodiments of a method to prevent outgassing from a low activation energy photoresist are described. In one embodiment of the present invention, a photoresist material is dispensed over a substrate to form a photoresist layer. The photoresist layer includes branched polymers coupled with acetal or ketal linkages. An exposed portion of the photoresist layer is exposed to a radiation treatment to cleave the acetal or ketal linkages and separate the branched polymers. The photoresist layer is baked at a temperature below about 100° C., and the separated branched polymers are too large to outgass from the photoresist layer.

Abstract: A negative-working, imageable element comprises a substrate and an IR-sensitive imageable layer comprising a dispersion of nanofibers of a preformed IR-sensitive polymer. The nanofibers can be composed of polyaniline, polypyrrole, or polythiophene. The IR-sensitive imageable layer containing the nanofibers can be imaged using infrared radiation and used for printing without further processing. Thus, both imaging and printing can be carried out on-press.