Patent ID: 6969579

Claim:
An imageable element comprising a top layer over a substrate, in which: the imageable element comprises a co-polymer or mixture of co-polymers, that comprise, in polymerized form: (a) about 10 wt % to 75 wt % of a monomer selected from the group consisting of monomers of structure I, monomers of structure II, and mixtures thereof; in which: Râ€² is hydrogen, halogen, or C 1 to C 6 alkyl; X is â€”C(CH 3 ) 2 â€”, â€”(CH 2 ) n â€”, or â€”CH(CH 3 )â€”; Y=â€”N(H)â€” or â€”Oâ€”; and n=0 to 12; the co-polymer or mixture of copolymers is soluble in an alkaline solution having a pH greater than about 8; the top layer is not removable by an alkaline developer before thermal imaging; imaged regions of the top layer are removable by the alkaline developer after thermal imaging; the imageable element additionally comprises a photothermal conversion material or a mixture of photothermal conversion materials; the imageable element comprises an underlayer between the top layer and the substrate; and the underlayer comprises the photothermal conversion material and the co-polymer.