Resist composition and patterning process

A resist composition comprising

• (A) a silicone resin,
• (B) a photoacid generator,
• (C) a nitrogen-containing organic compound, and
• (D) a solvent.
• said silicone resin (A) being obtained through cohydrolytic condensation of a mixture comprising hydrolyzable silane monomers having the general formulae (1), (2) and (3):
• R1R2pSiX3-p (1)
• R3R4qSiX3-q (2)
• R5R6rSiX3-r (3)
• wherein R1 is a C3-C20 organic group with a straight, branched, cyclic or polycyclic structure which has a hydroxyl group on a carbon atom as a functional group, which has at least 3 fluorine atoms, in total, on a carbon atom bonded to the hydroxyl-bonded carbon atom, and which may further contain a halogen, oxygen or sulfur atom, R2 is a C1-C6 hydrocarbon group having a straight, branched or cyclic structure,
• R3 is a C3-C20 organic group with a straight, branched, cyclic or polycyclic structure which has a carboxyl group as a functional group, said carboxyl group being protected with an acid-decomposable protecting group, and which may further contain a halogen, oxygen or sulfur atom, R4 is as defined for R2,
• R5 is a C4-C16 organic group which has a lactone ring as a functional group, and which may further contain a halogen, oxygen or sulfur atom, R6 is as defined for R2,
• X is a hydrogen atom, chlorine atom, bromine atom, or straight, branched or cyclic C1-C6 alkoxy group, p is 0 or 1, q is 0 or 1, and r is 0 or 1.