Chemically-amplified positive resist composition and resist patterning process using the same

A chemically-amplified positive resist composition for high energy beam exposure comprising:

• (A) a salt represented by the following general formula (1);
• and (B) a resin containing a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (U-1) that dissolves by acid action and increases solubility in an alkaline developer,
• wherein R0 represents a hydrogen atom, or a linear monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or a branched or a cyclic monovalent hydrocarbon group having 3 to 20 carbon atoms with which a hetero atom may be substituted or in which a hetero atom may be included;
• each R01 and R02 independently represents a hydrogen atom, or a linear monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or a branched or a cyclic monovalent hydrocarbon group having 3 to 20 carbon atoms with which a hetero atom may be substituted or in which a hetero atom may be included, and R01 and R02 may mutually be bonded to form a cyclic structure together with a carbon atom bonded by the same and a carbon atom between the same, and at least one of R0, R01 and R02 has a cyclic structure;
• each R101, R102 and R103 independently represents a linear monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or a branched or a cyclic monovalent hydrocarbon group having 3 to 20 carbon atoms with which a hetero atom may be substituted or in which a hetero atom may be included, and two or more of R101, R102 and R103 may mutually be bonded to form a cyclic structure together with a sulfur atom in the formula;
• and L represents a single bond, or any of an ester bond, a sulfonic acid ester bond, a carbonate bond, and a carbamate bond, each of which is formed together with an adjacent oxygen atom,
• wherein “q” represents 0 or 1;
• “r” represents an integer of 0 to 2;
• R1 represents any of a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a methyl group, and a trifluoromethyl group;
• each R2 independently represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms;
• B1 represents a single bond, or an alkylene group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms that may contain an ether bond;
• “a” represents an integer satisfying a≦+2r−b;
• and “b” represents an integer of 1 to 3.