Dry film, aqueous processable photoresist compositions

Claim 1

A photosensitive resist composition which is processable in aqueous media and which forms a laminatable layer when applied as a film from a liquid solution of an organic solvent, the laminatable layer being adapted for lamination onto a target substrate at a lamination temperature in the range from about 100°-120° C., the resist composition consisting essentially of: (A) from about 99 to 80% by weight of a film forming reactive polymer containing polymer groups which react upon acid catalysis, the polymer chain of the reactive polymer comprising the following polymerizable units: from about 10 to 50% by weight, based on the weight of the film forming reactive polymer, of a first monomer capable of undergoing an acid catalyzed conversion to render the product of the conversion soluble in an aqueous base developer, the first monomer being selected from the group consisting of tertiary butyl acrylate and tertiary butyl methacrylate, from about 30 to 70% by weight, based on the weight of the film forming reactive polymer, of a second monomer class which does not undergo an acid catalyzed reaction, the second monomer class comprising a mixture of ethyl acrylate and another monomeric component selected from the group consisting of methyl methacrylate, methyl acrylate and combinations thereof, from about 5 to 20% by weight, based on the weight of the film forming reactive polymer, of a third monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid, and (B) from about 1 to 20% by weight of an initiator which generates acid upon exposure to radiation, thereby producing acid catalysis of the film forming reactive polymer.