Radical copolymerization behavior of alkyl cyclobutenecarboxylate‐derivatives 4‐6 and related norbornene‐derived compounds 7–9 is described. A variety of alkyl cyclobutenecarboxylates fused with cycloaliphatic framework (4–6) were prepared by [2 + 2] cycloaddition of five, six, and eight‐membered cycloolefins with alkyl propiolates [alkyl = Me, 2‐hydroxyethyl, and 3‐γ‐butyrolactonyl (γ‐BL)]. The fused cyclobutenecarboxylates 4–6 were radically copolymerized with n‐butyl acrylate (nBA) to afford random copolymers, and terpolymerized with alkyl methacrylates with bulky ester groups [alkyl = γ‐BL and 3‐(3‐methyladamantyl)]. The cyclobutane‐containing bicyclic framework incorporated in the resulting polymer backbone contributes to raising Tg of resulting copolymers. Similar results were obtained when a mixture of related norbornene‐derived compounds were used as monomers with an apparently enhanced Tg‐raising effect in the copolymerization with nBA. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 2716–2724

The radical copolymerization of alkyl 2-norbornene-2-carboxylates, 1a-c, with alkyl (meth)acrylates, to produce copolymers with norbornane in the main chain, is described here. g-Butyrolactone-and hydroxy group-containing norbornene-based monomers (1b and 1c, respectively) were freshly synthesized, and their radical copolymerization behavior with n-butyl acrylate was examined. Methyl 2-norbornene-2-carboxylate, 1a, and the new monomers, 1b and 1c, were employed as comonomers for radical terpolymerization with lactone-and adamantane-containing (meth)acrylates to produce copolymers that could be applied as new, more chemically robust 193-nm photoresist materials. The dissolution rate of the spin-coated copolymer films after exposure to a photoacid generator, a significant characteristic in the photoresist application, was measured for various exposure doses of 193-nm ArF laser light under standard conditions in an aqueous alkaline solution.