Photosensitive composition, pattern-forming method using the photosensitive composition and compounds used in the photosensitive composition

1. A photosensitive composition, which comprises

(A) a sulfonium salt compound represented by formula (I); and

(C) a resin capable of decomposing by an action of an acid to increase solubility in an alkali developing solution:

wherein A represents an (m+1)-valent linking group, when a plurality of A's are present, the plurality of A's may be the same or different, and the plurality of A's may be bonded to each other to form a cyclic structure;

R represents a monovalent organic group, when two R's are present, the two R's may be the same or different, and the two R's may be bonded to each other to form a cyclic structure;

L represents a lactone ring structure, when a plurality of L's are present, the plurality of L's may be the same or different;

X − represents an anion;

n represents an integer of from 1 to 3; and

m represents an integer of 1 or 2; and

wherein the anion represented by X − in formula (I) is an organic sulfonate anion (R 1 —SO 3 − ), an organic carboxylate anion (R 1 —CO 2 − ), an organic imidate anion (N − (SO 2 —R 1 ) 2 ,

N − (SO 2 —R 1 )(CO—R 1 )) or an organic methidate anion (C − (SO 2 —R 1 ) 3 ), wherein R 1 represents a monovalent organic group,

wherein when m is 1, A represents a divalent linking group for linking S + and L, the divalent linking group being selected from the group consisting of an arylene group, an alkylene group, a cycloalkylene group, an alkenylene group, an ether group, an ester group and a group formed by a combination thereof, each of which may have a substituent, and

when m is 2, A is a group in which an arbitrary hydrogen atom in the divalent linking group selected from the corresponding case where m is 1 replaced by the other L.

2. A photosensitive composition, which comprises

(A) a sulfonium salt compound represented by formula (I); and

(C) a resin capable of decomposing by an action of an acid to increase solubility in an alkali developing solution:

wherein A represents an (m+1)-valent linking group, when a plurality of A's are present, the plurality of A's may be the same or different, and the plurality of A's may be bonded to each other to form a cyclic structure;

R represents a monovalent organic group, when two R's are present, the two R's may be the same or different, and the two R's may be bonded to each other to form a cyclic structure;

L represents a lactone ring structure, when a plurality of L's are present, the plurality of L's may be the same or different;

X − represents an anion;

n represents an integer of from 1 to 3; and

m represents an integer of 1 or 2; and

wherein the anion represented by X − in formula (I) is an organic sulfonate anion (R 1 —SO 3 − ), an organic carboxylate anion (R 1 —CO 2 − ), an organic imidate anion (N − (SO 2 —R 1 ) 2 ,

N − (SO 2 —R 1 )(CO—R 1 )) or an organic methidate anion (C − (SO 2 —R 1 ) 3 ), wherein R 1 represents a monovalent organic group, and

wherein the (m+1)-valent linking group represented by A has an aromatic ring.

3. A pattern-forming method, which comprises:

forming a photosensitive film with a photosensitive composition according to claim 1 ; and

exposing and developing the photosensitive film.

4. A compound, which is represented by formula (I):

wherein A represents an (m+1)-valent linking group, when a plurality of A's are present, the plurality of A's may be the same or different, and the plurality of A's may be bonded to each other to form a cyclic structure;

R represents a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group or an alkenyl group, when two R's are present, the two R's may be the same or different, and the two R's may be bonded to each other to form a cyclic structure;

L represents a lactone ring structure, when a plurality of L's are present, the plurality of L's may be the same or different;

X − represents an anion;

n represents an integer of from 1 to 3; and

m represents an integer of 1 or 2;

wherein the lactone ring structure represented by L is represented by any one formulae (LC1-1) to (LC1-16):

wherein Rb 2 represents a substituent; and

n 2 represents an integer of from 0 to 4, provided that when n 2 is 2 or more, a plurality of Rb 2 may be the same or different, and the plurality of Rb 2 may be bonded to each other to form a ring, and

the lactone ring structure represented by L is bonded to the linking group represented by A on an arbitrary position of the ring.

5. The photosensitive composition according to claim 1 , which further comprises:

(B) a compound capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation.

6. A photosensitive composition, which comprises:

(A) a sulfonium salt compound represented by formula (I); and

(E) a resin soluble in an alkali developing solution:

wherein A represents an (m+1 )-valent linking group, when a plurality of A's are present, the plurality of A's may be the same or different, and the plurality of A's may be bonded to each other to form a cyclic structure;

R represents a monovalent organic group, when two R's are present, the two R's may be the same or different, and the two R's may be bonded to each other to form a cyclic structure;

L represents a lactone ring structure, when a plurality of L's are present, the plurality of L's may be the same or different;

X 31 represents an anion;

n represents an integer of from 1 to 3; and

m represents an integer of 1 or 2, and

wherein the anion represented by X − in formula (I) is an organic sulfonate anion (R 1 —SO 3 − ), an organic carboxylate anion (R 1 —CO 2 − ), an organic imidate anion (N − (SO 2 —R 1 ) 2 , N − (SO 2 —R 1 )(CO—R 1 )) or an organic methidate anion (C − (SO 2 —R 1 ) 3 ), wherein R 1 represents a monovalent organic group, and

wherein when m is 1, A represents a divalent linking group for linking S + and L, the divalent linking group being selected from the group consisting of an arylene group, an alkylene group, a cycloalkylene group, an alkenylene group, an ether group, an ester group and a group formed by a combination thereof, each of which may have a substituent, and

when m is 2, A is a group in which an arbitrary hydrogen atom in the divalent linking group selected from the corresponding case where m is 1 is replaced by the other L.

7. A compound, which is represented by formula (I):

wherein A represents an (m+1)-valent linking group, when a plurality of A's are present, the plurality of A's may be the same or different, and the plurality of A's may be bonded to each other to form a cyclic structure, provided that when m is 1, A represents a divalent linking group for linking S + and L, the divalent linking group being selected from the group consisting of an arylene group, an alkylene group, a cycloalkylene group, an alkenylene group, an ether group, an ester group and a group formed by a combination thereof;

R represents a monovalent organic group, when two R's are present, the two R's may be the same or different, and the two R's may be bonded to each other to form a cyclic structure;

L represents a lactone ring structure, when a plurality of L's are present, the plurality of L's may be the same or different;

X − represents an anion;

n represents an integer of from 1 to 3; and

m represents an integer of 1 or 2;

wherein the lactone ring structure represented by L is represented by any one formulae (LC1-2) to (LC1-16):

wherein Rb 2 represents a substituent; and

n 2 represents an integer of from 0 to 4, provided that when n 2 is 2 or more, a plurality of Rb 2 may be the same or different, and the plurality of Rb 2 may be bonded to each other to form a ring, and

the lactone ring structure represented by L is bonded to the linking group represented by A or an arbitrary position of the ring.

8. The compound according to claim 4 ,

wherein the (m+1)-valent linking group represented by A has an aromatic ring.

9. The compound according to claim 8 ,

wherein the aromatic ring included in the (m+1)-valent linking group represented by A is a benzene ring, a naphthalene ring, an anthracene ring, a phenanthrene ring, a biphenylene ring, a fluorene ring or a pyrene ring.

10. The compound according to claim 4 ,

wherein the anion represented by X − in formula (I) is an organic sulfonate anion (R 1 —SO 3 − ), an organic carboxylate anion (R 1 —CO 2 − ), an organic imidate anion (N − (SO 2 —R 1 ) 2 , N − (SO 2 —R 1 )(CO—R 1 )) or an organic methidate anion (C − (SO 2 —R 1 ) 3 ), wherein R 1 represents a monovalent organic group.

11. The compound according to claim 7 ,

wherein the (m+1)-valent linking group represented by A has an aromatic ring.

12. The compound according to claim 11 ,

wherein the aromatic ring included in the (m+1)-valent linking group represented by A is a benzene ring, a naphthalene ring, an anthracene ring, a phenanthrene ring, a biphenylene ring, a fluorene ring or a pyrene ring.

13. The compound according to claim 7 ,

wherein the anion represented by X − in formula (I) is an organic sulfonate anion (R 1 —SO 3 − ), an organic carboxylate anion (R 1 —CO 2 − ), an organic imidate anion (N − (SO 2 —R 1 ) 2 , N − (SO 2 —R 1 )(CO—R 1 )) or an organic methidate anion (C − (SO 2 —R 1 ) 3 ), wherein R 1 represents a monovalent organic group.

14. The photosensitive composition according to claim 2 ,

wherein the aromatic ring included in the (m+1)-valent linking group represented by A is a benzene ring, a naphthalene ring, an anthracene ring, a phenanthrene ring, a biphenylene ring, a fluorene ring or a pyrene ring.

15. The photosensitive composition according to claim 6 ,

wherein the (m+1)-valent linking group represented by A has an aromatic ring.

16. The photosensitive composition according to claim 15 ,

wherein the aromatic ring included in the (m+1)-valent linking group represented by A is a benzene ring, a naphthalene ring, an anthracene ring, a phenanthrene ring, a biphenylene ring, a fluorene ring or a pyrene ring.

17. The photosensitive composition according to claim 1 ,

wherein the lactone ring structure represented by L is represented by any one of formulae (LC1-1) to (LC1-16):

wherein Rb 2 represents a substituent; and

n 2 represents an integer of from 0 to 4, provided that when n 2 is 2 or more, a plurality of Rb 2 may be the same or different, and the plurality of Rb 2 may be bonded to each other to form a ring, and

the lactone ring structure represented by L is bonded to the linking group represented by A on an arbitrary position of the ring.

18. The photosensitive composition according to claim 6 ,

wherein the lactone ring structure represented by L is represented by any one of formulae (LC1-1) to (LC1-16):

wherein Rb 2 represents a substituent; and

n 2 represents an integer of from 0 to 4, provided that when n 2 is 2 or more, a plurality of Rb 2 may be the same or different, and the plurality of Rb 2 may be bonded to each other to form a ring, and

the lactone ring structure represented by L is bonded to the linking group represented by A on an arbitrary position of the ring.

19. A pattern-forming method, which comprises:

forming a photosensitive film with a photosensitive composition according to claim 1 ;

exposing the photosensitive film through an immersion liquid so as to form an exposed photosensitive film; and

developing the exposed photosensitive film.

20. A pattern-forming method, which comprises:

forming a photosensitive film with a photosensitive composition according to claim 6 ;

exposing the photosensitive film through an immersion liquid so as to form an exposed photosensitive film; and

developing the exposed photosensitive film.

21. A pattern-forming method, which comprises:

forming a photosensitive film with a photosensitive composition according to claim 6 ; and

exposing and developing the photosensitive film.

22. The photosensitive composition according to claim 1 , wherein the resin (C) contains a repeating unit having a group having a lactone structure.

23. The photosensitive composition according to claim 22 ,

wherein the repeating unit having a group having a lactone structure is a repeating unit represented by formula (AI):

wherein Rb o represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms;

Ab represents a single bond, an alkylene group, a divalent linking group having a monocyclic or polycyclic alicyclic hydrocarbon structure, an ether group, an ester group, a carbonyl group, a carboxyl group or a divalent linking group combining these groups; and

V represents a group having a lactone structure represented by any one of formulas (LC 1-1) to (LC1-16):

wherein Rb 2 represents a substituent; and

n 2 represents an integer of from 0 to 4, provided that when n 2 is 2 or more, a plurality of Rb 2 may be same or different, and the plurality of Rb 2 may be bonded to each other to form a ring.

24. The photosensitive composition according to claim 1 , wherein the (m+1)-valent linking group represented by A has an aromatic ring.

25. The photosensitive composition according to claim 24 , wherein the aromatic ring included in the (m+1)-valent inking group represented by A is a benzene ring.

26. The photosensitive composition according to claim 16 , wherein the aromatic ring included in the (m+1)-valent linking group represented by A is a benzene ring.