Negative-working resist composition for electron beams or x-rays

A negative-working resist composition for electron beams or X-rays comprising (A) a compound generating a sulfomc acid by the irradiation of electron beams or x-rays, (B) a resin which is insoluble in water and soluble in an alkali aqueous solution, (C) a crosslinking agent containing at least three benzene rings and crosslinking with the resin (B) by the action of an acid, and (D) a compound generating, by the irradiation of electron beams or x-rays, a carboxylic acid represented by the following formula (a):

• Ra—COOH (a)
• wherein Ra represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a perfluoroalkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms,
• wherein the resin (B) is a resin having a repeating unit represented by the following formula (b):
• wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a cyano group, or an alkyl or haloalkyl group which may have a substituent;
• R2 represents a hydrogen atom, or an alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, aralkyl or acyl group which may have a substituent;
• R3 and R4, which may be the same or different, each represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a cyano group, or an alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aralkyl or aryl group which may have a substituent;
• A represents a single bond, an alkylene, alkenylene, cycloalkylene or arylene group which may have a substituent, —O—, —SO2—, —O—CO—R5, —CO—O—R6—, or —CO—N(R7)—R8—;
• R5, R6 and R8, which may be the same or different, each represents a single bond, an alkylene, alkenylene, cycloalkylene or arylene group, which may have a substituent, or a divalent group formed by combining the above-described alkylene, alkenylene, cycloalkylene or arylene group and at least one member selected from an ether structure, an ester structure, an amino structure, a urethane structure and a ureido structure;
• R7 represents a hydrogen atom, or an alkyl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl or aryl group which may have a substituent;
• and n renresents an integer of 1 to 3;
• or plural R2's, or R2 and R3 or R4 may combine with each other to form a ring.