COMPOSITION, ARTICLE, ITS MANUFACTURE AND USE

A COMPOSITION COMPRISING A POLYMER WHICH CONTAINS HYDROXYL GROUPS, THE COMPOSITION BEING SUITABLE AS A COATING FOR AN IR-IMAGABLE LITHOGRAPHIC PRECURSOR, THE COMPOSITION COMPRISING ONE OR MORE AGENT (S) WHICH: A) ABSORBS IR RADIATION OF WAVELENGTH GREATER THAN 800 NM AND CONSEQUENTLY GENERATES HEAT; B) FUNCTIONS AS AN INSOLUBILISER WHICH INHIBITS DISSOLUTION OF NON-IMAGED REGIONS OF THE COATING IN A DEVELOPER BUT PERMITS DISSOLUTION OF IMAGED REGIONS DURING DEVELOPMENT; AND C) IMPROVES THE INHIBITION TO DISSOLUTION OF THE NON-IMAGED REGIONS AND/OR THE DISSOLUTION OF THE IMAGED REGIONS SO AS TO IMPROVE THE DISSOLUTION CONTRAST RATIO (DCR) OF THE NON- IMAGED/ IMAGED REGIONS; WHEREIN THE AGENT WHICH PERFORMS FUNCTION C) COMPRISES A MOIETY WHICH HAS HYDROPHOBIC AND IONIC CHARACTER. SUCH A COMPOSITION CAN SHOW EXCELLENT SELECTIVITY AS REGARDS DISSOLUTION RATES IN DEVELOPER, AS BETWEEN THE IMAGED AND NON-IMAGED AREAS, WHILST THE ENERGY NEEDED TO ACHIEVE THIS DIFFERENTIATION (OR 'OPERATING SPEED') IS NOT COMPROMISED.