particularly limited, which is however preferably any of  repeating units of general formula (II) below.  In the formula,  R$_{2 }$ represents a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted  methyl group or a halogen atom;  B’ represents a single bond or a bivalent connecting  group;  Ar’ represents an aromatic ring group; and  m is an integer of 1 or greater.  As the optionally substituted methyl group represented by  R$_{2}$ ,  there can be mentioned a trifluoromethyl group, a  hydroxymethyl group or the like.  The term "phenolic hydroxyl group" used in the present  invention refers to a group resulting from the replacement of  a hydrogen atom of an aromatic ring group by a hydroxyl  group. The aromatic ring in the aromatic ring group is a  mono- or polycyclic aromatic ring. As the aromatic ring,  there can be mentioned a benzene ring, a naphthalene ring  or the like.  In the composition of the present invention comprising  compound (D), at exposed areas, a crosslinking reaction  between compound (D) containing a phenolic hydroxyl  group and the above-mentioned compound (C) containing  an acid-crosslinkable group progresses under the action of  an acid generated from acid generator (B) upon exposure to  actinic rays or radiation, thereby forming a negative pattern.  In particular, when acid generator (B) produces an acid with  a structure in which two or more methylol groups are  contained in its molecule, not only the crosslinking reaction  between compound (D) and compound (C) but also the  contribution of a plurality of methylol groups contained in  acid generator (B) to the crosslinking reaction can further  enhance the dry etching resistance, sensitivity and resolving  power.  Compound (D) containing a phenolic hydroxyl group is  not particularly limited as long as a phenolic hydroxyl group  is contained.  It  may be a relatively low molecular com› pound, such as a molecular resist, and may be a polymeric  compound. As the molecular resist, use can be made of, for  example, any of low-molecular-weight cyclic polyphenol  compounds described in JP-A’s 2009-173623 and 2009- 173625.  It  is preferred for compound (D) containing a phenolic  hydroxyl group to be a polymeric compound from the  viewpoint of reactivity and sensitivity.  When compound (D) containing a phenolic hydroxyl  group according to the present invention is a polymeric  compound, the polymeric compound comprises a repeating  unit containing at least one phenolic hydroxyl group. The  repeating unit containing a phenolic hydroxyl group is not  A substituent other than the above -OH group may be  introduced in the aromatic ring represented by Ar’. As such  a substituent, there can be mentioned, for example, an alkyl  group, a cycloalkyl group, a halogen atom, a hydroxyl  group, an alkoxy group, a carboxyl group, an alkoxycarbo› nyl group, an alkylcarbonyl group, an alkylcarbonyloxy  group, an alkylsulfonyloxy group or an arylcarbonyl group.  In the formula, m is preferably an integer of 1 to 5, most  preferably 1. When m is 1 and Ar’ is a benzene ring, the  position of-OH substitution may be any of the para-, meta› and ortho-positions to the site of bonding to B’ (when B’ is  a single bond, the principal chain of the polymer) in the  benzene ring. However, from the viewpoint of crosslinking  reactivity, the para- and meta-positions are preferred, and the  para-position is more preferred.  The aromatic ring represented by Ar’ is a monocyclic or  polycyclic aromatic ring. As such, there can be mentioned an  optionally substituted aromatic hydrocarbon ring having 6 to  18 carbon atoms, such as a benzene ring, a naphthalene ring,  an anthracene ring, a fluorene ring or a phenanthrene ring, or  an aromatic ring heterocycle containing a heteroring, such as  a thiophene ring, a furan ring, a pyrrole ring, a benzothio- phene ring, a benzofuran ring, a benzopyrrole ring, a triazine  ring, an imidazole ring, a benzimidazole ring, a triazole ring,  a thiadiazole ring or a triazole ring. Of these, a benzene ring  and a naphthalene ring are preferred from the viewpoint of  resolution. A benzene ring is most preferred from the view- point of sensitivity.  B’ is more preferably a single bond, a carbonyloxy group  (-C(=O)-O-) or-C(=O)-NH-, further more pref› erably a single bond or a carbonyloxy group (----C(=O)› O-). A single bond is most preferred from the viewpoint of  dry etching resistance.  R$_{2 }$ is preferably a hydrogen atom or a methyl group. A  hydrogen atom is more preferred from the viewpoint of  developability.  The bivalent connecting group represented by B’ is pref- erably a carbonyl group, an alkylene group (preferably  having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, more preferably 1 to 5 carbon  atoms), a sulfonyl group (-S(=O)$_{2}$ -),  ---0-, -NH-,  or a bivalent connecting group comprised of a combination  of these.  US 10,007,180 B2  96  95  -continued  (II)  ¥  B’  I  Ar’  I  (OH)m  (A-111)  0  [4] Compound (D) Containing Phenolic Hydroxyl Group  It  is preferred for the composition of the present invention  in its one form to comprise a compound (D) containing a  phenolic hydroxyl group (hereinafter also referred to as  compound (D)). 