Sulfonic acid esters, radiation-sensitive mixtures prepared therewith and their use

Radiation-sensitive, positive-working or negative-working mixture comprising

• a) a compound forming a strong acid on irradiation,
• b) either, for a positive-working mixture, a compound having at least one acid-cleavable C--O--C or C--O--Si bond or, for a negative-working mixture, a compound having at least two acid-crosslinkable groups and
• c) a binder which is insoluble in water but soluble or at least swellable in aqueous alkaline solutions,
• wherein the compound a) is a sulfonic acid ester of the formula
• ›R.sup.1 --CR.sup.2 (C.sub.3)--O--SO.sub.2 --!.sub.n R.sup.3(I)
• or
• R.sup.1 ›--CR.sup.2 (CF.sub.3)--O--SO.sub.2 --R.sup.3 !.sub.m(II)
• in which
• R.sup.1 in the compounds of the formula I is a mononuclear or polynuclear unfused or fused (C.sub.6 -C.sub.14)aryl- or (C.sub.4 -C.sub.11)heteroaryl radical containing oxygen, sulfur or nitrogen as a heteroatom and, in the compounds of the formula II, a divalent or trivalent radical of a mononuclear or polynuclear unfused or fused (C.sub.6 -C.sub.14)aromatic or (C.sub.4 -C.sub.12)heteroaromatic containing oxygen, sulfur or nitrogen as a heteroatom or a divalent radical of the formula --C.sub.6 H.sub.4 --X--C.sub.6 H.sub.4 --, in which X is an oxygen atom, a carbonyl or sulfonyl group or a group CR.sup.7 R.sup.8, in which R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 are identical or different and are a methyl or trifluoromethyl radical,
• R.sup.2 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl, trifluoromethyl or cyano radical,
• R.sup.3 in the compounds of the formula I where n=1 and in the compounds of the formula II is a straight-chain or branched, unsubstituted or substituted (C.sub.1 -C.sub.18)alkyl radical, a (C.sub.4 -C.sub.10)-cycloalkyl radical, a (C.sub.2 -C.sub.6)alkenyl radical, an unsubstituted or substituted (C.sub.6 -C.sub.14)aryl or (C.sub.4 -C.sub.12)heteroaryl radical containing oxygen, sulfur or nitrogen as a heteroatom or a (C.sub.7 -C.sub.18)aralkyl radical and, in the compounds of the formula I where n=2 or 3, a divalent or trivalent radical of a straight-chain or branched, unsubstituted or substituted (C.sub.1 -C.sub.18)alkane or cycloalkane, of a mononuclear or polynuclear (C.sub.6 -C.sub.14)aromatic or of a (C.sub.4 -C.sub.12)heteroaromatic containing oxygen, sulfur or nitrogen as a heteroatom, and
• n is an integer from 1 to 3 and
• m is 2 or 3.