Patent ID: 7618765

Claim:
A positive resist composition comprising (A) a resin component which becomes soluble in an alkaline developer under the action of an acid, and (B) a compound capable of generating an acid in response to actinic light or radiation, wherein said resin component (A) is a polymer comprising recurring units having the general formula (1): wherein R 1 is each independently hydrogen, methyl or trifluoromethyl, R 2 is a straight, branched or cyclic, monovalent hydrocarbon group of 1 to 20 carbon atoms which may contain a heteroatom, m is 2 or 3, n is 1 or 2, p is 0, 1 or 2, a, b, and c, indicative of ratios of the corresponding recurring units are each independently a number in the range from 0.01 to less than 1, and a+b+c=1, and said compound (B) is a sulfonium salt compound having the general formula (2): wherein R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are each independently hydrogen or a straight, branched or cyclic, monovalent hydrocarbon group of 1 to 20 carbon atoms which may contain a heteroatom, and R 6 is a straight, branched or cyclic, monovalent hydrocarbon group of 7 to 30 carbon atoms which may contain a heteroatom.