Patent ID: 6753129
Filing Date: 2004-06-22
Classification: G03F,H01J,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for producing an etch resistant image, which comprises:(a) coating and drying a photosensitive composition onto a substrate, which photosensitive composition comprise: (i) at least one water insoluble, acid decomposable polymer which is substantially transparent to ultraviolet or x-ray radiation, wherein said polymer is present in the photosensitive composition in an amount sufficient to form a uniform film of the composition components when it is coated on a substrate and dried; (ii) at least one photosensitive compound capable of generating an acid upon exposure to sufficient activating ultraviolet, electron beam or x-ray radiation energy, said photosensitive compound being present in an amount sufficient to substantially uniformly photosensitize the photosensitive composition; (b) imagewise exposing the photosensitive composition to sufficient activating ultraviolet, electron beam or x-ray radiation energy to cause the photosensitive compound to generate sufficient acid to decompose the polymer in the imagewise exposed areas of the photosensitive composition; (c) developing the photosensitive composition to thereby remove the exposed nonimage areas and leaving the unexposed image areas of the photosensitive composition; (d) irradiating the image areas of the photosensitive composition to sufficient electron beam radiation to thereby increase the resistance of the photosensitive composition in the image areas to an etchant while simultaneously cooling the photosensitive composition during electron beam radiation to maintain the photosensitive composition at a temperature of less than about 20Â° C.