Resist composition and patterning process

A resist composition, comprising:

• a resin (A) having:
• a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (p-1);
• a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (a-1) and changing in its polarity by an action of an acid to be soluble in an alkaline aqueous solution;
• and a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (b-1);
• a resin (B) having:
• a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (p-2);
• a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (a-1) and changing in its polarity by an action of an acid to be soluble in an alkaline aqueous solution;
• and a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (b-1);
• and
• a solvent (D), wherein
• a content of the resin (A) contained in the resist composition is smaller than a content of the resin (B),
• wherein in the general formula (p-1), R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;
• Z1 represents a single bond, a phenylene group, —O—Z11—, —C(═O)—O—Z11—, —C(═O)—NH—Z11—, —Z12-Ph-, —Z12—O-Ph-, or —Z12—C(═O)—O-Ph-;
• Z11 represents an alkanediyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkenediyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, or a phenylene group, Z11 optionally having a carbonyl group, an ester bond, an ether bond, or a hydroxy group;
• Z12 represents a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms;
• Ph represents a phenylene group;
• R2 and R3 each independently represents a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and optionally having a heteroatom, or a phenyl group;
• M0− represents a non-nucleophilic counterion;
• in the general formula (p-2), R4 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;
• Z2 represents a single bond, a phenylene group, —O—Z21—, —C(═O)—O—Z21—, —Z21—C(═O)—O—, or —C(═O)—NH—Z21—;
• Z21 represents a single bond, an alkanediyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkenediyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, or a phenylene group, Z21 optionally having a carbonyl group, an ester bond, an ether bond, or a hydroxy group;
• M1+ represents a counter cation having a substituent and being a sulfonium cation, an iodonium cation, or an ammonium cation;
• R5 represents a hydrogen atom or a trifluoromethyl group;
• in the general formula (a-1), R6 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;
• Y represents a group having a structure changing in its polarity by an action of an acid to be soluble in an alkaline aqueous solution;
• in the general formula (b-1), R7 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;
• Z3 represents a single bond, a methylene group, an ethylene group, a phenylene group, a fluorinated phenylene group, an ester bond, an amide bond, —O—Z31—, —C(═O)—O—Z31—, or —C(═O)—NH—Z31—;
• Z31 represents an alkanediyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms and optionally having a carbonyl group, an ester bond, or an ether bond;
• “n1” represents an integer of 1 to 3;
• “n2” represents an integer of 0 to 3;
• a total of “n1” and “n2” is 5 or less;
• and
• R8 represents a halogen atom, a linear hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or a branched or cyclic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, and —CH2— constituting these groups are optionally substituted with —O—, —C(═O)—O—, or —C(═O)—, or optionally substituted with a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a heteroatom.