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[0331] <<Acid-Generator Component (B)>> 

[0332] The resist composition of the present embodiment may include, in addition to the components (A), an acid› generator component (hereafter, sometimes referred to as "component (B)"). 

[0333] As the component (B), there is no particular limi› tation, and any of the known acid generators used in conventional chemically amplified resist compositions can be used. 

[0334] Examples of these acid generators are numerous, and include onium salt acid generators such as iodonium salts and sulfonium salts; oxime sulfonate acid generators; diazomethane acid generators such as bisalkyl or bisaryl sulfonyl diazomethanes and poly(bis-sulfonyl)diazometh› anes; nitrobenzylsulfonate acid generators; iminosulfonate acid generators; and disulfone acid generators. Among these, it is preferable to use an onium salt acid generator. 

[0335] As the onium salt acid generator, a compound represented by general formula (b-1) below (hereafter, sometimes referred to as "component (b-1 )"), a compound represented by general formula (b-2) below (hereafter, sometimes referred to as "component (b-2)") or a compound represented by general formula (b-3) below (hereafter, sometimes referred to as "component (b-3)") may be used. 

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[0336] In the formulae, R$^{101 }$and R$^{104 }$to R$^{108 }$each inde› pendently represents a cyclic group which may have a substituent, a chain-like alkyl group which may have a substituent or a chain-like alkenyl group which may have a substituent, provided that R $^{104 }$and R $^{105 }$may be mutually bonded to form a ring; 102 

[0337] R represents a fluorine atom or a fluorinated alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms; Y$^{101 }$represents a single bond or a divalent linking group containing an oxygen atom; V$^{101 }$to V$^{103 }$each independently represents a single bond, an alkylene group or a fluorinated alkylene group; L 101 and L 102 each independently represents a single bond or an oxygen atom; L $^{103 }$to L $^{105 }$each independently represents a single bond, -CO- or -SO$_{2}$ -; m represents an integer of 1 or more; and M’m+ represents an m-valent onium cation. 

[0338] {Anion Moiety} 

[0339] -Anion Moiety of Component (b-1) 

[0340] In the formula (b-1), R$^{101 }$represents a cyclic group which may have a substituent, a chain-like alkyl group which may have a substituent or a chain-like alkenyl group which may have a substituent. 

[0341] Cyclic group which may have a substituent: 

[0342] The cyclic group is preferably a cyclic hydrocarbon group, and the cyclic hydrocarbon group may be either an aromatic hydrocarbon group or an aliphatic hydrocarbon group. An "aliphatic hydrocarbon group" refers to a hydro› carbon group that has no aromaticity. The aliphatic hydro› carbon group may be either saturated or unsaturated, but in general, the aliphatic hydrocarbon group is preferably satu› rated. 101 

[0343] The aromatic hydrocarbon group for R is a hydrocarbon group having an aromatic ring. The aromatic hydrocarbon group preferably has 3 to 30 carbon atoms, more preferably 5 to 30 carbon atoms, still more preferably 5 to 20 carbon atoms, still more preferably 6 to 15 carbon atoms, and most preferably 6 to 10 carbon atoms. Here, the number of carbon atoms within a substituent(s) is not included in the number of carbon atoms of the aromatic hydrocarbon group. 

[0344] Examples of the aromatic ring contained in the aromatic hydrocarbon group represented by R 101 include benzene, fluorene, naphthalene, anthracene, phenanthrene and biphenyl; and aromatic hetero rings in which part of the carbon atoms constituting the aforementioned aromatic rings has been substituted with a hetero atom. Examples of the hetero atom within the aromatic hetero rings include an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom and a nitrogen atom. 

[0345] Specific examples of the aromatic hydrocarbon group represented by R 101 include a group in which one hydrogen atom has been removed from the aforementioned aromatic ring (i.e., an aryl group, such as a phenyl group or a naphthyl group), and a group in which one hydrogen of the aforementioned aromatic ring has been substituted with an alkylene group (e.g., an arylalkyl group such as a benzyl group, a phenethyl group, a 1-naphthylmethyl group, a 2-naphthylmethyl group, a 1-naphthylethyl group or a 2-naphthylethyl group). The alkylene group (alkyl chain within the arylalkyl group) preferably has 1 to 4 carbon atom, more preferably 1 or 2, and most preferably 1. 

[0346] Examples of the cyclic aliphatic hydrocarbon group for R 101 include aliphatic hydrocarbon groups con› taining a ring in the structure thereof. 

[0347] As examples of the hydrocarbon group containing a ring in the structure thereof, an alicyclic hydrocarbon group (a group in which one hydrogen atom has been removed from an aliphatic hydrocarbon ring), a group in which the alicyclic hydrocarbon group is bonded to the terminal of the aforementioned chain-like aliphatic hydro› carbon group, and a group in which the alicyclic group is interposed within the aforementioned linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon group, can be given. 

[0348] The alicyclic hydrocarbon group preferably has 3 to 20 carbon atoms, and more preferably 3 to 12 carbon atoms. 

[0349] The alicyclic hydrocarbon group may be either a polycyclic group or a monocyclic group. As the monocyclic alicyclic hydrocarbon group, a group in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been removed from a monocycloal› kane is preferable. The monocycloalkane preferably has 3 to 6 carbon atoms, and specific examples thereof include cyclopentane and cyclohexane. As the polycyclic alicyclic hydrocarbon group, a group in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been removed from a polycycloalkane is pref› erable, and the polycyclic group preferably has 7 to 30 carbon atoms. Among polycycloalkanes, a polycycloalkane 

