Claims
- 1. A process for producing relief patterns and images, which comprises: applying a radiation-sensitive mixture dissolved in an inert solvent to a substrate in a film thickness (measured dry) of 0.2 to 4 .mu.m, drying the film, subjecting it to imagewise irradiation at an energy level such that, following a postbake at from 60.degree. to 120.degree. C., the solubility of the irradiated areas in an aqueous alkali developer is increased and selectively removing these irradiated areas with the alkali developer, wherein said radiation-sensitive mixture is a composition consisting essentially of
- (a) a water-insoluble but alkali-soluble polymeric binder,
- (b) an organic compound whose solubility in aqueous alkali is increased by the action of an acid and which contains at least one acid-cleavable group and additionally a group which forms a strong acid on irradiation, and
- (c) a storage stability improving amount of at least one organic compound which reacts with water or stronger nucleophiles at up to 120.degree. C., even in the presence of an acid catalyst.
- 2. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein component (a) is present in an amount of from 70 to 96% by weight, component (b) is present in an amount of from 3 to 10% by weight and component (c) is present in an amount of from 0.5 to 5% by weight, each amount being based on the total weight of the three components.
- 3. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein the organic compound (b) is a sulfonium salt of the formula (I) ##STR14## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are identical or different and each is an aliphatic or aromatic radical which may contain hetero atoms or two of R.sup.1 to R.sup.3 form a ring, with the proviso that at least one of R.sup.1 to R.sup.3 contains at least one acid-cleavable group, while one of R.sup.1 to R.sup.3 can be linked to one or more further sulfonium salt radicals, where appropriate via an acid-cleavable group, and X.sup..crclbar. is a non-nucleophilic counter-ion.
- 4. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein the organic compound (c) is an acetal or ketal.
- 5. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein the organic compound (c) is a vinyl or enol ether.
- 6. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein the organic compound (c) is an orthocarboxylic ester.
- 7. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein the organic compound (c) is a carboxylic anhydride.
- 8. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein the organic compound (c) is an ester of a di- or polycarboxylic acid with an alcohol containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms.
- 9. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein the organic compound (c) is a diazo or diazonium compound.
- 10. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein the organic compound (c) is a mixture of at least two of the organic compounds (c) mentioned in claims 3 to 8.
- 11. A process as defined in claim 1, wherein the organic compound (c) is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 10% by weight, based on the total amount of the radiation-sensitive mixture (a)+(b)+(c).
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
4032162 |
Oct 1990 |
DEX |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/769,437, filed on Oct. 1, 1991, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Photoinitiated Cationic Polymerization by Dialkyl-4-Hydroxyphenylsulfonium Salts. Journal of Polymer Science, vol. 18, 1021-1034 (1980). |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
769437 |
Oct 1991 |
|