Patent ID: 7482107

Claim:
A positive working photoresist composition comprising an alkali soluble resin substituted with an acid labile blocking group that requires an activation energy of at least 20 Kcal/mol for deblocking, a base and a photoacid generating compound that undergoes photolysis when exposed to a pattern of activating radiation at a wavelength of 350 mn or less to yield a sulfonic acid having a strong electron withdrawing group and a pK a that does not exceed 0, the photoacid generator is one capable of generating an acid of a formula: X a RSO 3 H where R is an alkyl having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms or aryl, X is a strong electron withdrawing group, and a is a whole number from 1 to 18; the base has a formula N(R′ 4 )A where R′ is substituted or unsubstituted alkyl having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms or substituted or unsubstituted aryl, A is a counter ion selected from mesylate or tosylate, and the alkali soluble resin has a formula: where x is from about 10 to 90 percent, y is from about 1 to 75 percent, and z is from 1 to 75 percent of the mole fraction, the hydroxyl group on the hydroxystyrene may be present at either the ortho, meta, or para positions throughout the copolymer, R′ 11 is substituted or unsubstituted alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R 1 and R 2 are independently halogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted alkythio having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, cyano, and nitro; and m is an integer of from 0 to 5 and p is an integer of from 0 to 4; and R 3, R 4, and R 5 are hydrogen.