Image reversal negative working O-quinone diazide and cross-linking compound containing photoresist process with thermal curing treatment

Claim 1

A process for preparing a negative working photographic element which consists essentially of in order: (a) forming a composition which consists essentially of in admixture (i) from about 1% to about 25% based on the weight the solid parts of the composition of a photosensitive compound having the formula ##STR15## wherein R 1 =1,2 benzoquinone-2-diazide-4-sulfonyl; 1,2 naphthoquinone-2-diazide-4-sulfonyl; or 1,2 anthraquinone-2-diazide-4-sulfonyl R 2 =H, R 7 , OR 6 or ##STR16## R 3 =H, R 7 , OR 6 or ##STR17## R 4 =H, R 7 , OR 6 or ##STR18## R 6 =H, alkyl, aryl, aralkyl or R 1 R 7 =alkyl, aryl or aralkyl (ii) from about 75% to about 99% based on the weight of the solid parts of the composition of a novolak resin; and (iii) from about 0.5% to about 20% based on the weight of the solid parts of the composition of a crosslinking compound which has the formula ##STR19## wherein R 1 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 are independently H, (C 1 -C 6 ) alkyl, (C 3 -C 6 )cycloalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl or OR 2 ; and R 2 , R 3 are independently H, (C 1 -C 6 ) alkyl, (C 3 -C 6 ) cycloalkyl, aryl or arylalkyl; and (iv) sufficient solvent to dissolve the foregoing composition components; and (b) coating said composition on a substrate; and (c) heating said coated substrate at a temperature of from about 20° to about 100° until substantially all of said solvent is dried off; and (d) imagewise exposing said composition to actinic, electron beam, ion beam or x-ray radiation; and (e) heating said coated substrate at a temperature of at least about 95° C. to about 160° for from about 10 seconds or more to crosslink said resin; and (f) removing the radiation unexposed non-image areas of said composition with a developer wherein the process is conducted in the absence of a flood exposure after heating step (e).