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

Claim 1

A process for preparing and using 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 of a the solid parts of the composition of a photosensitive composition comprising the condensation product of: I. A phenolic compound having the structure: ##STR37## wherein: R a is H, OH, halogen or lower alkyl, with at least two and not greater than six R a radicals being OH, and X is a single C--C bond, --O--, --S--, ##STR38## II. A 1,2 naphthoquinonediazide-4-sulfonic acid (Diazo I), and III. A 1,2 naphthoquinonediazide-5-sulfonic acid (Diazo II) or an organic acid of the formula W--R 3 , wherein W is ##STR39## or --SO 2 --V, V is halogen and R 3 is alkyl, aryl, substituted alkyl or substituted aryl; wherein the molar ratio of the amount of Diazo I reacted to the amount of Diazo II and/or organic acid reacted is the range of from about 1:1 to about 39:1; (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 solids parts of the composition of a crosslinking compound which, when in the presence of that amount and strength of the acid generated when said diazide is exposed to actinic radiation, is capable of crosslinking said resin under the application of the heating conditions of step (e), said crosslinking compound has the formula ##STR40## 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° C. 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° C. for about 10 seconds or more to crosslink said resin; and (f) removing the 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).