Photochemical cross-linking of polymers

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR PRODUCING PHOTOGRAPHIC RESIST IMAGES OR PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING PLATES BY THE PHOTOCHEMICAL CROSSLINKING OF A POLYMERIC MATERIAL, COMPRISING EXPOSING A PHOTOGRAPHIC ELEMENT TO ACTINIC LIGHT THROUGH A PROCESS TRANSPARENCY, SAID PHOTOGRAPHIC ELEMENT COMPRISING A SUPPORT HAVING THEREON A PHOTOSENSITIVE LAYER COMPRISING A POLYMER CONTAINING GROUPS THAT ARE REACTIVE WITH INTERMEDIATES DERIVING FROM THE PHOTOCHEMICAL DECOMPOSITION OF 1,2,3-THIADIAZOLE GROUPS, AND 1,2,3-THIADIAZOLE GROUPS PRESENT IN SAID POLYMER OR IN SEPARATE COMPOUNDS CONTAINING AT LEAST TWO OF SAID 1,2,3-THIDIAZOLE GROUPS, WHEREBY IN THE EXPOSED REAS SAID POLYMERIC MATERIAL IS CROSS-LINKED TO THE INSOLUBLE STATE AND REMOVING THE SOLUBLE POLYMERIC MATERIAL IN THE UNEXPOSED AREAS, THEREBY FORMING A PHOTOGRAPHIC RESIST IMAGE OR A PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING PLATE.