Mixtures of mono- and DI- or polyfunctional silanes as silylating agents for top surface imaging

A process for forming a relief image on a substrate, said process comprising:

• (a) coating said substrate with a film of a resist comprised of a noncrosslinked polymer having reactive protic groups;
• (b) treating said film by a procedure which includes imagewise exposure of said film to radiation to crosslink said polymer in exposed regions by reaction between said reactive protic groups, thereby rendering unexposed regions selectively susceptible to silylation by reaction with a hydrolyzable moiety on an organosilane;
• (c) treating said film with a composition in vapor form comprising a mixture of
• (i) a first organosilane having a single hydrolyzable moiety bonded to a silicon atom, and
• (ii) a second organosilane having at least two hydrolyzable moieties bonded to one or more silicon atoms,
• said first and second organosilanes having boiling points no more than about 5.degree. C. apart, said first organosilane comprising at least about one-half of said mixture by weight;
• and
• (d) developing said film thus treated with an oxygen plasma.