Patent ID: 7371783

Claim:
An alkali-soluble maleimide-based copolymer which comprises, as essential constituents, 5 to 50% by mass of a maleimide monomer unit which is at least one unit selected from the group consisting of a N-cyclohexylmaleimide monomer unit, a N-benzylmaleimide monomer unit and a substituted N-benzylmaleimide monomer unit, 8 to 30% by mass of the (meth)acrylic acid monomer unit and 30 to 87% by mass of a (meth)acrylic acid ester monomer unit and which satisfies the condition represented by the formula: 0.4 ×X≦Y≦ 0.5 ×X+ 10 where X is the content, in % by mass, of the N-cyclohexylmaleimide monomer unit, the N-benzylmaleimide monomer unit and the substituted N-benzylmaleimide monomer unit and Y is the content, in % by mass, of the (meth)acrylic acid monomer unit, wherein the alkali-soluble maleimide-based copolymer has a double bond equivalent of 300 to 100,000.