Photoresist composition

A positive working photoresist composition comprising an alkali soluble resin substituted with an acid labile blocking group that requires an activation energy of at least 20 Kcal/mol for deblocking, a base, and a photoacid generating compound that undergoes photolysis when exposed to a pattern of activating radiation at a wavelength of 350 nm or less to yield a sulfonic acid having a strong electron withdrawing group and a pKa that does not exceed 0, the photoacid generator has a formula:

• where X is a strong electron withdrawing group, R is an alkyl having 1 to 18 carbon atoms or aryl, a is a whole number of 1 to 18, R31, R32 and R×are each independently a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or aryl group, and Ar1, Ar2, and Ar3 are each independently substituted or unsubstituted aryl groups, and the base has a formula N(R′4)A where R′ is substituted or unsubstituted alkyl having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms or substituted or unsubstituted aryl, A is a counter anion selected from mesylate or tosylate and;
• the alkali soluble resin has a formula:
• where x is from about 10 to 90 percent, y is from about 1 to 75 percent, and z is from 1 to 75 percent of the mole fraction, the hydroxyl group on the hydroxystyrene may be present at either the ortho, meta, or para positions throughout the copolymer, R11 is substituted or unsubstituted alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R1 and R2 are independently halogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted alkythio having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, cyano, and nitro;
• and m is an integer of from 0 to 5 and p is an integer of from 0 to 4;
• and R3, R4, and R5 are hydrogen.

A positive working photoresist composition comprising an alkali soluble resin substituted with an acid labile blocking group that requires an activation energy of at least 20 Kcal/mol for deblocking, a base, and a photoacid generating compound that undergoes photolysis when exposed to a pattern of activating radiation at a wavelength of 350 nm or less to yield a sulfonic acid having a strong electron withdrawing group and a pKa that does not exceed 0, the phatoacid generator has a formula:

• where R is an alkyl having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms or aryl, X is strong electron withdrawing group and a is a whole number of 1 to 18, the carbon atoms may form a two carbon structure having a single, double or aromatic bond, or, alternatively, they may form three carbon structure, where the imide ring is a five member or six member ring;
• X′ and Y may form a cyclic or polycyclic ring with one or more hetero atoms, or may form a fused aromatic ring or are independently hydrogen, alkyl or aryl, or are attached to another sulfonyloxyimide containing residue, or are attached to a polymer chain of backbone, or alternatively, may form
• where m is 5 and R1 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, acetyl, acetamide, alkyl having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, NO2, F, Cl, CF3, and OCH3, with the proviso that when the alkyl having 1 to 4 carbons is on the ring, there is only 1 such alkyl, when NO2 is on the ring, there may be 1 or 2 such groups, when F is on the ring, there may be 1 to 5 such groups, when Cl is on the ring, there may be 1 to 2 such groups, when CF3 is on the ring, there may be 1 or 2 such groups, and when OCH3 is on the ring there may be 1 or 2 such groups;
• the base has a formula N(R′4)A where R′ is substituted or unsubstituted alkyl having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms or substituted or unsubstituted aryl, A is a counter anion selected from mesylate or tosylate;
• the alkali soluble resin has a formula:
• where x is from about 10 to 90 percent, y is from about 1 to 75 percent, and z is from 1 to 75 percent of the mole fraction, the hydroxyl group on the hydroxystyrene may be present at either the ortho, meta, or para positions throughout the copolymer, R11 is substituted or unsubstituted alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R1 and R2 are independently halogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted alkythio having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, cyano, and nitro;
• and m is an integer of from 0 to 5 and p is an integer of from 0 to 4;
• and R3, R4, and R5 are hydrogen.