Compositions and processes for photolithography

A method for processing a photoresist composition, comprising:

• (a) applying on a substrate a photoresist composition comprising:
• (i) one or more resins,
• (ii) a photoactive component, and
• (iii) one or more materials that comprise a sufficient amount of acidic groups to provide a dark field dissolution rate of at least one angstrom per second;
• and
• (b) immersion exposing the photoresist layer to radiation activating for the photoresist composition.

A coated substrate system comprising:

• a substrate having thereon:
• a coating layer of a photoresist composition, the photoresist composition comprising:
• (i) one or more resins that comprise photoacid-labile groups,
• (ii) a photoactive component, and
• (iii) one or more materials that comprise photoacid labile groups and that are distinct from the one or more resins;
• wherein the deprotection activation energy of photoacid-labile groups of the one or more materials is about the same as or lower than the deprotection activation energy of photoacid-labile groups of the one or more resins.

A coated substrate system comprising:

• a substrate having thereon:
• a coating layer of a photoresist composition, the photoresist composition comprising:
• (i) one or more resins,
• (ii) a photoactive component, and
• (iii) one or more materials that comprise a sufficient amount of acidic groups to provide a dark field dissolution rate of at least one angstrom per second.

A photoresist composition comprising:

• (i) one or more resins that comprise photoacid-labile groups,
• (ii) a photoactive component, and
• (iii) one or more materials that comprise photoacid labile groups and that are distinct from the one or more resins;
• wherein the deprotection activation energy of photoacid-labile groups of the one or more materials is about the same as or lower than the deprotection activation energy of photoacid-labile groups of the one or more resins.