Nov. 24,  2016  10  US 2016/0342090 Al  [0113]  The alkyl group as Q is, for example, the same as  the above-described alkyl group of R 41  and R 42 .  [0114]  The alicyclic group and aromatic ring group as Q  include, for example, the above-described cycloalkyl group  and aryl group ofR$^{41 }$and R 42 . The number of carbon atoms  thereof is preferably 3 to 15. Incidentally, in the present  invention, a group formed by combining plural aromatic  rings through a single bond (for example, a biphenyl group  and a terphenyl group) is also included in the aromatic group  ofQ.  [0115]  Examples of the heteroatom-containing alicyclic  group and heteroatom -containing aromatic ring group  include thiirane, cyclothiolane, thiophene, furan, pyrrole,  benzothiophene, benzofuran, benzopyrrole, triazine, imida› zole, benzimidazole, triazole, thiadiazole, thiazole, and pyr› rolidone. Incidentally, in the present invention, a group  formed by combining plural "heteroatom-containing aro› matic rings" through a single bond (for example, a viologen  group) is also included in the aromatic group of Q.  [0116]  The alicyclic group and aromatic ring group as Q  may have a substituent, and examples thereof include an  alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, a cyano group, a halogen  atom, a hydroxyl group, an alkoxy group, a carboxyl group,  and an alkoxycarbonyl group.  [0117]  (-M$^{41}$-Q) is particularly preferably a methyl group,  an aryloxyethyl group, a cyclohexylethyl group, or an ary› lethyl group.  [0118]  Examples of the case where at least two members  ofR 41 , R 42 , M 41 , and Qare bonded to each other to form a  ring include a case where either M$^{41 }$or Q is bonded with R 41  to form a propylene group or a butylene group and thereby  form a 5- or 6-membered ring containing an oxygen atom.  [0119]  With the total number of carbon atoms ofR 41 , R 42 ,  M 41 , and Q being expressed as N O  in the case where N  c  has  a large value, a change in an alkali dissolution rate of the  polymer compound (A) before and after leaving of the group  represented by General Formula (VI) is increased, and  therefore the contrast of dissolution is preferably improved.  The range of the value of Ne is preferably 4 to 30, more  preferably 7 to  25, and particularly preferably 7 to 20. When  the value of N  c  is 30 or less, lowering of a glass transition  temperature of the polymer compound (A) is prevented, and  therefore the deterioration of exposure latitude (EL) of a  resist film, or the remaining of residues resulting from  leaving of a group represented by General Formula (VI) as  a defect on the resist pattern are preferably inhibited.  [0120]  In view of dry etching resistance, at least one of  R 41 , R 42 , M 41 , or Q preferably has an alicyclic or aromatic  ring. Here, the alicyclic group and the aromatic ring group  are the same, for example, as the above-described alicyclic  group and aromatic ring group of Q.  [0121]  As the repeating unit capable of decomposing by  the action of an acid to generate an alkali-soluble group, a  repeating unit represented by General Formula (VII) is also  preferred. In the actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive  resin composition, the repeating unit represented by General  Formula (VII) is a repeating unit capable of decomposing by  the action of an acid to generate a carboxyl group as an  alkali-soluble group in the side chain.  [0133]  Y 2  represents a group capable of leaving by the  action of an acid and specifically, is preferably a group  represented by the following formula.  [0132]  Each of the groups of L may further have a  substituent, and specific examples of the substituent are the  same as those of the substituent which may be further  substituted on the arylene group of Ar 11 .  [0131]  The number of carbon atoms in the cycloalkyl  group as  RN  is preferably 5 to 8. Examples of the cycloalkyl  group include a cyclopentyl group and a cyclohexyl group.  [0130]  The number of carbon atoms in the alkyl group as  RN  is preferably 1 to 8. Examples of the alkyl group include  a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group, a butyl  group, a hexyl group, and an octyl group.  [0129]  The number of carbon atoms in the aryl group as  RN  is preferably 4 to 20, and more preferably 6 to 14.  Examples of the aryl group include a phenyl group and a  naphthyl group.  [0128]  The arylene group as L is preferably an arylene  group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms, and examples thereof  include a phenylene group and a naphthylene group.  [0127]  The cycloalkylene group as L is preferably a  cycloalkylene group having 5 to 10 carbon atoms, and  examples thereof include a cyclopentylene group and a  cyclohexylene group.  [0126]  The alkylene group as L is preferably an alkylene  group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and examples thereof  include a methylene group, an ethylene group, a propylene  group, butylene group, a hexylene group, and an octylene  group.  [0125]  In the case where L is a divalent linking group,  examples thereof include an alkylene group, a cycloalkylene  group, an arylene group, ---0-, -SO$_{2}$ -,  --CO-,  -N(RN)-, and a combination of plural these members.  Here.  RN  represents an aryl group, an alkyl group, or a  cycloalkyl group.  [0124]  In General Formula (VII), R$^{21 }$represents a hydro› gen atom or a methyl group and is particularly preferably a  hydrogen atom.  [0123]  With respect to the repeating unit represented by  General Formula (VII), preferred compounds for use in the  present invention are described below.  [0122]  In General Formula (VII), R$^{21 }$represents a hydro› gen atom or a methyl group, L represents a single bond or  a divalent linking group, and Y $^{2 }$represents a group capable  of leaving by the action of an acid.  (VII) 