Radiation-sensitive elements and etch processes using the same

Claim 1

The method of claim 1 further comprising removing said overlayer.

Claim 3

A method for preparing a plate element provided with a relief image comprising: projecting an actinic radiation image upon an electromagnetic radiation-sensitive element having a first layer of a material capable of entering in solution in an etchant, a second layer having substantial resistance to The action of said etchant and which is selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, lead, cadmium, zinc, iron, tin, arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, germanium, indium, manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium, silicon, tellurium, thallium and vanadium, and an overlayer of an inorganic material substantially transmissive of said radiation capable when exposed to electromagnetic actinic radiation to interreact with said second layer such as to cause a discrete radiation-induced complete etching in depth of said layer for adequate amount of electromagnetic radiation impinging thereupon, wherein said inorganic material is different from the material of said second layer and is selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium, M-X compounds and mixtures and M-X-Y compounds and mixtures, wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of arsenic, antimony, bismuth, selenium, tellurium, copper, zinc, cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium, gallium, indium, thallium, germanium, tin, iron, cobalt, nickel and silver, and X and Y are selected from the group consisting of halogen, sulfur, selenium and tellurium, removing said interreaction product so as to bare portions of said first layer, removing said overlayer and etching the first layer where thus bared in said etchant.

Claim 4

A method for preparing a plate element provided with a relief image comprising: projecting an actinic radiation image upon an electromagnetic radiation-sensitive element having a first layer of a material capable of entering in solution in an etchant, a second layer having substantial resistance to the action of said etchant and which is selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, lead, cadmium, zinc, iron, tin, arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, germanium, indium, manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium, silicon, tellurium, thallium and vanadium, and an overlayer of an inorganic material substantially transmissive of said radiation and capable of entering in solution in said etchant and capable when exposed to electromagnetic actinic radiation to interreact with said second layer such that the formation of interreaction product at the boundary between said second layer and said overlayer causes a discrete radiation-induced complete etching in depth of said second layer for adequate amount of electromagnetic radiation impinging thereupon, wherein said inorganic material is different from the material of said second layer and is selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium, M-X compounds and mixtures and M-X-Y compounds and mixtures, wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of arsenic, antimony, bismuth, selenium, tellurium, copper, zinc, cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium, gallium, indium, thallium, germanium, tin, iron, cobalt, nickel and silver, and X and Y are selected from the group consisting of halogen, sulfur, selenium and tellurium, removing said interreaction product so as to bare portions of said first layer, and etching the first layer where thus bared in said etchant whilst simultaneously dissolving said overlayer in said etchant.

Claim 5

A method for making a relief image by means of electromagnetic radiation-sensitive element comprising three dissimilar superimposed layers substantially adhering to each other, the first of said layers being selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, lead, cadmium, zinc, iron, tin, arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, germanium, indium, manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium, silicon, tellurium, thallium and vanadium, the second of said layers being an inorganic material different from that of said first layer and capable when exposed to electromagnetic actinic radiation to form an interreaction product with said first layer, wherein said inorganic material is selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium, M-X compounds and mixtures and M-X-Y compounds and mixtures, wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of arsenic, antimony, bismuth, selenium, tellurium, copper, zinc, cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium, gallium, indium, thallium, germanium, tin, iron, cobalt, nickel and silver, and X and Y are selected from the group consisting of halogen, sulfur, selenium and tellurium, and the third of said layers being a material incapable of interreacting with said second layer, wherein said first layer is substantially transmissive of said radiation and wherein said interreaction product and said second and third layers are soluble in a first solvent and said first layer is soluble in a second solvent, said method comprising the steps of: impinging an actinic radiation-defined image upon said first transmissive layer for causing selectively and discretely the formation of said interreaction product at the boundary between said first and second layers selectively and discretely consuming portions of said first layer, and selectively and discretely dissolving in said first solvent said interreaction product and corresponding portions of said second and third layers.

Claim 8

A method for making a relief image by means of an electromagnetic radiation-sensitive element comprising three dissimilar superimposed layers substantially adhering to each other, the first of said layers being selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, lead, cadmium, zinc, iron, tin, arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, germanium, indium, manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium, silicon, tellurium, thallium and vanadium, the second of said layers being an inorganic material different from that of said first layer and capable when exposed to electromagnetic actinic radiation to form an interreaction product with said first layer, wherein said inorganic material is selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium, M-X compounds and mixtures and M-X-Y compounds and mixtures, wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of arsenic, antimony, bismuth, selenium, tellurium, copper, zinc, cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium, gallium, indium, thallium, germanium, tin, iron, cobalt, nickel and silver, and X and Y are selected from the group consisting of halogen, sulfur, selenium and tellurium, and the third of said layers being a material incapable if interreacting with said second layer, wherein said first layer is substantially transmissive of said radiation and wherein said interreaction product and said second layers are soluble in a first solvent and said third layer is soluble in a second solvent, said method comprising the steps of: impinging an actinic radiation-defined image upon said first layer for causing selectively and discretely the formation of said interreaction product at the boundary between said first and second layers selectively and discretely consuming portions of said first layer, and selectively and discretely dissolving in said first solvent said interreaction product and corresponding portions of said second layer so as to bare portions of said third layer.

Claim 12

A method for making a relief image by means of an electromagnetic radiation-sensitive element comprising four dissimilar superimposed layers substantially adhering to each other, the second of said layers being selecteD from the group consisting of silver, copper, lead, cadmium, zinc, iron, tin, arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, germanium, indium, manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium, silicon, tellurium, thallium and vanadium, the first and third of said layers being an inorganic material different from that of said second layer and capable when exposed to electromagnetic actinic radiation to form an interreaction product with said second layer, wherein said inorganic material is selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium, M-X compounds and mixtures and M-X-Y compounds and mixtures, wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of arsenic, antimony, bismuth, selenium, tellurium, copper, zinc, cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium, gallium, indium, thallium, germanium, tin, iron, cobalt, nickel and silver, and X and Y are selected from the group consisting of halogen, sulfur, selenium, and tellurium, and the fourth of said layers being a material incapable of interreacting with said third layer, wherein said first layer is substantially transmissive of said radiation and wherein said first, third and fourth layers and said interreaction product are soluble in a first solvent and said second layer is soluble in a second solvent, said method comprising the steps of: impinging an actinic radiation-defined image upon said first layer for causing selectively and discretely the formation of said interreaction product at the boundary between said first and second layers selectively and discretely consuming portions of said second layer, and selectively and discretely dissolving in said first solvent said interreaction product and corresponding portions of said first, third and fourth layers.

Claim 15

A method for making a relief image by means of an electromagnetic radiation-sensitive element comprising four dissimilar superimposed layers substantially adhering to each other, the second of said layers being selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, lead, cadmium, zinc, iron, tin, arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, germanium, indium, manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium, silicon, tellurium, thallium and vanadium, the first and the third of said layers being an inorganic material different from that of said second layer and capable when exposed to electromagnetic radiation to form an interreaction product with said second layer, wherein said inorganic material is selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium, M-X compounds and mixtures and M-X-Y compounds and mixtures, wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of arsenic, antimony, bismuth, selenium, tellurium, copper, zinc, cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium, gallium, indium, thallium, germanium, tin, iron, cobalt, nickel and silver, and X and Y are selected from the group consisting of halogen, sulfur, selenium and tellurium, and the fourth of said layers being a material incapable of interreacting with said third layer, wherein said first layer is substantially transmissive of said radiation and wherein said first and third layers and said interreaction product are soluble in a first solvent and said fourth layer is soluble in a second solvent, said method comprising the steps of: impinging an actinic radiation-defined image upon said first layer for causing selectively and discretely the formation of said interreaction product at the boundary between said first and second layers selectively and discretely consuming portions of said second layer, and selectively and discretely dissolving in said first solvent said interreaction product and corresponding portions of said first and third layers so as to bare portionS of said fourth layer.

Claim 19

A method for making a relief image by means of an electromagnetic radiation-sensitive element comprising three dissimilar superimposed layers substantially adhering to each other, the first of said layers being an inorganic material capable when exposed to electromagnetic actinic radiation to form an interreaction product with the second of said layers, said inorganic material being selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium, M-X compounds and mixtures and M-X-Y compounds and mixtures, wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of arsenic, antimony, bismuth, selenium, tellurium, copper, zinc, cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium, gallium, indium, thallium, germanium, tin, iron, cobalt, nickel and silver, and X and Y are selected from the group consisting of halogen, sulfur, selenium and tellurium, the second of said layers is a material different from that of said first layer and is selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, lead, cadmium, zinc, iron, tin, arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, germanium, indium, manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium, silicon, tellurium, thallium, and vanadium, and the third of said layers being a material incapable of interreacting with said second layer, wherein said first layer is substantially transmissive of said radiation and wherein said interreaction product and said first layers are soluble in a first solvent and said third layer is soluble in a second solvent, said method comprising the steps of: impinging an actinic radiation-defined image upon said first layer for causing selectively and discretely the formation of an interreaction product at the boundary between said first and second layers selectively and discretely consuming portions of said second layer, and selectively and discretely dissolving in said first solvent said interreaction product and said first layer so as to bare portions of said third layer.

Claim 22

A method for making a relief image by means of an electromagnetic radiation-sensitive element comprising three dissimilar superimposed layers substantially adhering to each other, the first of said layers being an inorganic material capable when exposed to electromagnetic actinic radiation to form an interreaction product with the second of said layers, said inorganic material being selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium, M-X compounds and mixtures and M-X-Y compounds and mixtures, wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of arsenic, antimony, bismuth, selenium, tellurium, copper, zinc, cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium, gallium, indium, thallium, germanium, tin, iron, cobalt, nickel and silver, the second of said layers is a material different from that of said first layer and is selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, lead, cadmium, zinc, iron, tin, arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, germanium, indium, manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium, silicon, tellurium, thallium and vanadium, and the third of said layers being a material incapable of interreacting with said second layer, wherein said first layer is substantially transmissive of said radiaTion and wherein said interreaction product and said first and third layers are soluble in a solvent, said method comprising the steps of: impinging an actinic radiation-defined image upon said first layer for causing selectively and discretely the formation of an interreaction product at the boundary between said first and second layers selectively and discretely consuming portions of said second layer, and selectively and discretely dissolving in said solvent said first layer and said interreaction product and portions of said third layer corresponding to the consumed portions of said second layer.