Low-activation energy silicon-containing resist system

A resist composition, said composition comprising:

• an acid-sensitive imaging polymer;
• and
• a radiation-sensitive acid generator,
• wherein said imaging polymer comprises a silsesquioxane backbone and a solubility inhibiting pendant acid-labile moiety having a low activation energy less than about 20 kcal/mol for acid-catalyzed cleaving, wherein said acid-labile moiety is cleavable at room temperature and wherein at least a portion of said imaging polymer is fluorinated resist, and wherein said imaging polymer comprises a combination of monomeric units (II) and (III), (III) and (IV) or units (II) and (V), wherein the monomeric units (II) and (III) are described by the formulas:
• in which
• each R3 is independently selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a linear alkyl, a branched alkyl, a fluorinated linear alkyl, a fluorinated branched alkyl, a fluorocycloalkyl, a fluoroaryl, or any combination thereof,
• each X is independently selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, NR3, a linear alkyl, a branched alkyl, a fluorinated linear alkyl, a fluorinated branched alkyl, a fluorocycloalkyl, or a fluoroaryl, wherein p is an integer having the value 1 or 0,
• each Y is independently selected from the group consisting of a linear alkyl, a branched alkyl, a fluorinated linear alkyl, a fluorinated branched alkyl, a fluorocycloalkyl, or a fluoroaryl, wherein q is an integer having the value 1 or 0,
• each R4 is independently selected from the group consisting of a fluorine atom, a fluorinated linear alkyl, fluorinated branched alkyl, a fluorocycloalkyl, a fluoroaryl, or any combination thereof,
• each R5 is independently a solubility inhibiting group, and
• each R6 is independently a solubility promoting group;
• and
• the monomeric units (IV) and (V) are described by the formulas: