Patent ID: 7078444

Claim:
An ionic photoacid generator comprising: (a) a cation comprising at least one of i. a transition metal containing organometallic cation, ii. an organic onium cation, or iii. a mixture thereof, and (b) an anion of the formula − O 3 S—R f —O—(R h —Z m ) n where: R f is a highly fluorinated divalent, branched alkylene having 3 to 12 catenary carbon atoms, or a highly fluorinated cyclic alkylene, or a highly fluorinated oxaalkylene moiety; R h is a hydrocarbon moiety; n is 1 to 2; m is independently 1 to 3; and Z is a pendant group selected from the group consisting of —Cl, —Br, —I, —NO 2 , —SO 3 ′, —H, —CN, —NCO, —OCN, —CO 2 − , —OH, —OR 1 ′, —SR 1 ′, —C(O)N(R 1 ′) 2 , —N(R 1 ′)C(O)R 1 ′, —N(R 1 ′)SO 2 R 1 ′, —SO 2 N(R 1 ′) 2 , —SO 2 R 1 ′, —SOR 1 ′, —OC(O)R 1 ′, —C(O)OR 1 ′, —C(O)R 1 ′, —Si(OR 1 ′) 3 , —Si(R 1 ′) 3 , and an epoxy group, where R 1 ′ is independently H, an unbranched or branched, cyclic or acyclic, saturated or unsaturated alkyl group; wherein there are at least two fluorinated carbon atoms between said —O— group and said − O 3 S group.