Resist composition and patterning process

A resist composition, comprising:

• a resin (A) represented by the following formula (a1) and comprising a repeating unit that generates an acid by exposure;
• a photodegradable quencher represented by the following formula (b1);
• and
• an organic solvent,
• wherein at least one of M1+ in the formula (a1) and M2+ in the formula (b1) represents a sulfonium cation represented by the following formula (1),
• wherein Ra1 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;
• Z1a1 represents a single bond or an ester bond;
• Z2a1 represents a single bond or a divalent organic group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and optionally having an ester bond, an ether bond, a lactone ring, an aromatic ring, a fluorine atom, a bromine atom, or an iodine atom;
• Rf1 to Rf4 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, or a trifluoromethyl group, provided that at least one of Rf1 to Rf4 represents a fluorine atom;
• and M1+ represents a sulfonium cation,
• wherein Rb represents an organic group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms and optionally having a substituent;
• and M2+ represents a sulfonium cation,
• wherein R1 represents a fluorine atom, an iodine atom, or a perfluoroalkyl group;
• R2 and R3 each independently represent a fluorine atom or a perfluoroalkyl group;
• “l” represents an integer of 0 to 3;
• “m” represents an integer of 1 to 3;
• “n” represents an integer of 1 to 3;
• when “l”, “m”, or “n” represents an integer of 2 or more, each of R1, R2, and R3 may be same or different;
• provided that structure of the formula (1) has at least two or more fluorine atoms;
• when R2 or R3 represents a fluorine atom, at least one fluorine atom is substituted at a meta-position relative to a sulfur atom.