Novel photoresist design based on electrophilic aromatic substitution

A new approach to resist materials that exhibit chemical amplification is based on systems comprised of three structural units at least one of which is polymeric: (a) an aromatic moiety such as poly(4-hydroxystyrene), Novolac, or other aromatic compounds which are susceptible to electrophilic aromatic substitution; (b) a latent electrophile which may be polyfunctional and, in the case of this study, is a carbocation precursor; (c) a material which generates strong acid upon irradiation. Exposure of a film containing these three structural components affords a latent image of acid dispersed in the polymer matrix.