Production of relief images or resist images by a negative-working method

摘要

Relief images or resist images are produced by a negative-working process, using a photosensitive resist layer which is applied on a base and contains a compound possessing two or more aromatic and/or heteroaromatic o-nitrocarbinol ester groups as well as a crosslinking compound possessing two or more reactive groups which are capable, under the action of heat, of reacting with carboxyl groups to form a covalent chemical bond. To produce the relief images or resist images, the photosensitive resist layer is first exposed imagewise to actinic light, the exposed areas of this layer are subjected to selective thermal hardening and crosslinking and the resist layer is then post-exposed uniformly to actinic light and finally washed out with an aqueous developer.