Immersion topcoat materials with improved performance

A method of forming a patterned material layer on a substrate, the method comprising:

• providing a substrate having a material layer on a surface thereof;
• depositing a photoresist composition on the substrate to form a photoresist layer on the material;
• applying a topcoat material on the photoresist layer, thereby forming a coated substrate, the topcoat material comprising a polymer containing a hexafluoroalcohol monomer unit comprising one of the following two structures:
• wherein n is an integer;
• pattern-wise exposing the coated substrate to an imaging radiation;
• contacting the coated substrate with an aqueous alkaline developer, wherein the top coat material and a portion of the photoresist layer are simultaneously removed from the coated substrate, thereby forming a patterned photoresist layer on the material layer;
• and
• transferring the pattern in the photoresist layer to the material layer.