Sulfonate ester photoacid generator, and preparation method therefor and use thereof

Abstract

Provided are a sulfonate ester photoacid generator, and a preparation method therefor and the use thereof. The sulfonate ester photoacid generator has a structure as represented by general formula (I) or (I'). The photoacid generator having the structure represented by general formula (I) does not contain fluorine, and the acidity of sulfonic acid generated by the photolysis of the photoacid generator is not weaker than that of a traditional fluorine-containing photoacid, thereby overcoming the problems that acid moieties of existing sulfonate ester photoacid generators contain fluorine and acid moieties that do not contain fluorine have a poor acidity; moreover, the sulfonate ester photoacid generator can improve the photosensitivity and resolution of a photosensitive composition. The photoacid generator having the structure represented by general formula (I') does not contain a perfluoro-substituted alkyl group, has a high acid yield and a good solubility, is environmentally friendly, and can meet the application requirements of PFAS management and control in the future.

Description

A sulfonate-based photoacid generator, its preparation method and application Technical Field This application belongs to the field of photosensitive materials technology, and relates to a sulfonate ester photoacid generator, its preparation method and application. Background Technology Photoacid generators are a key component of chemically amplified photoresists, and their structure and properties have a significant impact on photolithographic images. With the development of the semiconductor industry, the demand for high-precision patterns is constantly increasing, which also places higher demands on the expansion of the types of photoacid generators that can be applied, as well as on their performance, especially characteristics such as low diffusion, high solubility, and high acid generation rate. On the one hand, although the use of sulfonates of naphthalene anhydride as photoinitiators in the semiconductor field is widely known, most current photoresist formulations require the addition of additives to inhibit acid migration or enhance pattern adhesion. CN104822662B provides a photosensitive resin composition, comprising a resin component and an acid-generating agent, wherein the acid-generating agent is a sulfonylimide-based photoacid-generating agent, and the sulfonylimide-based photoacid-generating agent discloses the following structure: R is selected from aliphatic hydrocarbon groups, aryl groups, arylalkyl groups, acyl-substituted aryl groups, alicyclic hydrocarbon groups, etc. These aliphatic hydrocarbon groups, aryl groups, arylalkyl groups, and alicyclic hydrocarbon groups can be substituted with halogen atoms, haloalkyl groups, etc. The above-mentioned acid-producing agent contains a sulfonate group, which is directly linked to the imide structure. This structure has photolytic degradation properties and can photolyze to produce sulfonic acid under active energy radiation. However, the disadvantage of the above structure is that the sulfonic acid produced by its photolysis is either a fluorinated supersulfonic acid or a non-fluorinated sulfonic acid. The fluorinated sulfonic acid involves PFAS issues, while the non-fluorinated sulfonic acid is too weak. CN116249937A provides a photosensitive resin composition comprising a resin component and an acid-generating agent, wherein the acid-generating agent is a sulfonylimide-based photoacid-generating agent having the following structure: R1 can be a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic hydrocarbon group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted arylalkyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted alkylaryl group. The molecule of the aforementioned acid-producing agent contains a sulfonate group directly linked to the imide structure. This structure exhibits photolytic degradation, capable of photolysis to produce sulfonic acid under active energy radiation. However, a drawback of this structure is that the sulfonic acid produced by photolysis is either a fluorinated supersulfonic acid or a non-fluorinated sulfonic acid. The fluorinated sulfonic acid involves PFAS issues, while the non-fluorinated sulfonic acid is too weak. On the other hand, naphthalimide sulfonate photoacid generators are widely known as photoinitiators in the semiconductor field. For example, patent document CA1204547A discloses a curable composition of an acid-curing resin, which, as a curing catalyst, discloses a structure having a naphthalimide skeleton. As substituents for the naphthalene skeleton, R1, R2, and R3 are disclosed to be selected from hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, phenylthio, NO2, or halogens. Additionally, patent documents US20160085148A1 and US20200183271A1 disclose various sulfonic acid derivatives for use in resist compositions as acid generators. These technologies focus on improving performance aspects such as acid generation rate and system compatibility, but they lack sufficient attention to environmental protection and human health. In recent years, evidence has shown that perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have caused global pollution to the environment, wildlife, and humans, accumulating in the human body and posing a direct threat to human health. Furthermore, PFAS pollution is exacerbating the biodiversity crisis. The harmful effects of perfluorinated compounds on humans and the environment have attracted widespread attention from relevant countries and international organizations, and an increasing number of perfluorinated compounds are being or will soon be included in regulatory control. Fluorosulfonic acid derivatives will gradually be subject to regulatory and market control in various countries worldwide. With the improvement of industrialization level and the expansion of application fields, the safety and chemical stability of photoacid generators have become important factors affecting the overall application performance of photoresist compositions. This application aims to further explore photoacid generator products that are PFAS-free, have high acid generation rate, and have better solubility, based on existing technologies (such as CA1204547A, US20160085148A1, US20200183271A1), in order to meet future application requirements for PFAS control. Summary of the Invention The following is an overview of the subject matter described in detail herein. This overview is not intended to limit the scope of the claims. To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this application is to provide a sulfonate-based photoacid generator, its preparation method, and its application. The photoacid generator of this application is fluorine-free, and the sulfonic acid produced by its photolysis is no weaker than that of traditional fluorine-containing photoacids. This solves the problem that existing sulfonate-based photoacid generators contain fluorine-containing acid radicals and lack fluoride-containing acid radicals, resulting in weak acidity. Furthermore, the sulfonate-based photoacid generator of this application can improve the photosensitivity and resolution of photosensitive compositions. To achieve this objective, the following technical solution is adopted in this application: On the one hand, this application provides a sulfonate ester-based photoacid generator, which has the structure shown in general formula (I) or general formula (I'): In the general formula (I), R 1 ~R 5Each is independently selected from hydrogen, other halogen atoms besides fluorine atoms, nitro, cyano, substituted or unsubstituted C2-C atoms. 25 olefinic group, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 Alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 alkoxy or substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 The alkylthio group; or the substituted or unsubstituted C2-C2 group. 25 olefinic group, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 Alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 At least one -CH2- group in the alkylthio group is substituted with -O-, -S-, -CO-, -O-CO-, or -COO-, or the substituted or unsubstituted C2-C3 group. 25 olefinic group, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 Alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 At least one CH3 group in the alkylthio group is substituted with -SiMe3, -OH, or a cycloalkyl group; and R 1 ~R 5 At least one of them is selected from nitro, cyano or X is a single bond or a C1-C5 alkyl group; Y is a -CH2-, carbonyl, or ester group; m is an integer from 0 to 4; n is an integer from 0 to 2. Alternatively, in the general formula (I'), R1' is selected from substituted or unsubstituted C6-C. 18 aryl, substituted or unsubstituted C6-C 18 The substituted group is selected from alkoxy, acyloxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylsulfonyl, alkylsulfinyl, alicyclic, heterocyclic, aryl, alkoxy, cyano, or nitro groups; R2' is selected from C1-C1. 10 Straight-chain or branched alkyl groups, C3-C 12 cycloalkyl, C2-C 10 Straight-chain or branched alkenyl groups, C2-C 10 Straight-chain or branched alkynyl groups, C1-C 10 Straight-chain or branched alkoxy groups, C1-C 10 Straight-chain or branched alkylthio groups, C1-C 10 Straight-chain or branched hydroxyl-substituted alkyl groups or C6-C 10 aryl or aryloxy substituted C1-C 10 Alkyl group. In this application, when m is 0, it indicates... The group is a straight-chain group that does not contain cycloalkyl groups, i.e. In this application, R 1 ~R 5 The number of nitro groups can be an integer from 0 to 5 (e.g., 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5), and the number of cyano groups can be an integer from 0 to 5 (e.g., 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5). An integer from 0 to 5 (e.g., 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5), optionally nitro, cyano, and The total number of integers is between 1 and 5. In this application R 1 ~R 5 The number of nitro groups can be an integer from 1 to 4, where R 1 ~R 5 The group is not nitro, cyano or The atoms are selected from hydrogen atoms, halogen atoms other than fluorine atoms, and substituted or unsubstituted C2-C atoms. 25 olefinic group, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 Alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 Any one of the alkylthio groups; R 1 ~R 5 The number of cyano groups can be an integer from 1 to 4, where R 1 ~R 5 The group is not nitro, cyano or The atoms are selected from hydrogen atoms, halogen atoms other than fluorine atoms, and substituted or unsubstituted C2-C atoms. 25 olefinic group, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 Alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 Any one of the alkylthio groups; R 1 ~R 5 middle You can choose from 1 to 4 integers, where R 1 ~R 5 The group is not nitro, cyano or The atoms are selected from hydrogen atoms, halogen atoms other than fluorine atoms, and substituted or unsubstituted C2-C atoms. 25 olefinic group, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25Alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 Any one of the alkylthio groups; R 1 ~R 5 Nitrocyano can be selected. The sum consists of integers from 1 to 4, where R is an integer. 1 ~R 5 The group is not nitro, cyano or The atoms are selected from hydrogen atoms, halogen atoms other than fluorine atoms, and substituted or unsubstituted C2-C atoms. 25 olefinic group, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 Alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 Any one of the alkylthio groups. In this application, the substituents in the substituted or unsubstituted groups are selected from hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, tert-butyl, methoxy, butoxy, etc. Nitro or cyano. The sulfonate photoacid generator of general formula I in this application contains a sulfonate group directly linked to an imine structure. This structure exhibits photosensitive cleavage properties, allowing the NO bond to break under irradiation by active energy rays, resulting in different types of sulfonic acids. These active energy rays are in the near-ultraviolet and visible light regions with wavelengths between 300 and 450 nm, particularly those with a wavelength of 365 nm (i-line). The sulfonate photoacid generator with the structure shown in general formula (I) exhibits strong absorption, higher sensitivity, and solubility to these active energy rays, and is easily synthesized. When a photoresist composition comprising this sulfonate photoacid generator and a resin component is used in an alkaline developer to dissolve and expose a photosensitive composition, the increased photosensitivity of the sulfonate photoacid generator allows for the formation of patterns with excellent sensitivity and good contrast; even fine patterns can achieve sufficiently high resolution and sensitivity. Meanwhile, compared with traditional naphthalimide-based sulfonate photoacids, the sulfonate photoacids of this application have improvements in UV absorption intensity at 365 nm, sensitivity, solubility, and acidity. In one implementation, R 1 ~R 5 Each is independently selected from hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, tert-butyl, methoxy, butoxy, Nitro or cyano, and R 1 ~R 5At least one of them is selected from nitro, cyano or In one implementation method Groups are selected from In one embodiment, X is selected from a single bond, -CH2-, -CH2CH2-, -CH2CH2CH2-, or -CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2-. In one implementation, R1' is selected from... In one embodiment, R2' is selected from methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, tert-butyl, ... The wavy line represents the connection site of the functional group. In one embodiment, the sulfonate photoacid generator having the structure shown in general formula (I) and general formula (I') is selected from any one of the following compounds: On the other hand, this application provides a method for preparing a sulfonate photoacid generator having the structure shown in general formula (I) as described above, the method comprising the following steps: Step S1, Compound 1 is reacted with a cycloalkylboronic ester compound. The reaction proceeds to produce compound 2; Step S2: Compound 2 is reacted with a hydroxylating agent to generate hydroxylamine compound 3; Step S3: Hydroxylamine compound 3 and compound 4 are subjected to esterification reaction to obtain sulfonate photoacid generator; The structural formulas of compounds 1, 2, 3, and 4 are as follows: Among them, R 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 R 5 m and n have the same definitions as those mentioned above; X1 is selected from either -H or halogen atoms, X2 is selected from halogens, and X3 is selected from halogens. In step S1 above, the 4-substituted naphthalene anhydride (compound 1) can be reacted with a cycloalkyl acyl chloride via a Friedel-Crafts reaction to obtain a 4-substituted naphthalene anhydride (compound 2). The cycloalkyl acyl chloride can be obtained by purchasing or by preparing it through an acylation reaction between haloalkanes. In one embodiment, the molar ratio of compound 1 to the cycloalkyl halide compound in step S1 is 1:1.20 to 1.30, for example, 1:1.2, 1:1.23, 1:1.25, 1:1.28 or 1:1.30. In one embodiment, the reaction temperature in step S1 is 75-80°C, for example 75°C, 77°C, 79°C or 80°C, and the reaction time is 6-8h, for example 6h, 6.5h, 6.8h, 7h, 7.5h, 7.8h or 8h. In one embodiment, the reaction in step S1 is carried out in a solvent selected from any one or a combination of at least two of toluene, tetrahydrofuran, or xylene. In this application, the cycloalkylboronic ester compound described in step S1 It is prepared by the following method: Compound A reacts with compound B to give the cycloalkylboronic ester compound, as shown in the following reaction formula: In one embodiment, the molar ratio of compound A to compound B is 1:1.20-1.30, for example 1:1.20, 1:1.22, 1:1.25, 1:1.28 or 1:1.30. In one embodiment, the reaction between compound A and compound B is carried out in the presence of an alkaline substance. In one embodiment, the alkaline substance is selected from any one or a combination of at least two of potassium acetate, potassium phosphate, or ammonium acetate. In one embodiment, the reaction of compound A with compound B is carried out in the presence of a phosphine ligand; In one embodiment, the phosphine ligand is tris(dibenzylacetone)palladium (Pd2(dba)3). In one embodiment, the reaction of compound A with compound B is carried out in an organic solvent, preferably toluene. In one embodiment, the reaction temperature of compound A with compound B is 100-120°C, for example 100°C, 105°C, 108°C, 110°C, 115°C, 118°C or 120°C, and the reaction time is 5-8 hours, for example 5 hours, 6 hours, 7 hours or 8 hours. In one embodiment, the hydroxylation reaction in step S2 is carried out under alkaline or acidic conditions. In one embodiment, the hydroxylamine reagent in step S2 is hydroxylamine sulfate or hydroxylamine hydrochloride. In one embodiment, the temperature of the hydroxylation reaction in step S2 is 25–100°C, for example 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, 40°C, 45°C, 50°C, 55°C, 60°C, 65°C, 70°C, 75°C, 80°C, 85°C, 90°C, 95°C, or 100°C, and more preferably 75–100°C, which is more conducive to improving the efficiency of the hydroxylation reaction. In one embodiment, in step S3, hydroxylamine compound 3 and compound 4 (acylation reagent) undergo an esterification reaction under alkaline conditions in an inert solvent. Compound 4 can be converted into sulfonate compounds via benzene nitration, cyanation, or sulfonation, or it can be commercially available. In one embodiment, the alkaline conditions are the reaction being carried out in the presence of any one of the following alkaline substances: pyridine, N-methylpyrrolidone, ethylenediamine, piperidine, or triethylamine, or a combination of at least two of these. In one embodiment, the inert solvent is selected from any one or a combination of at least two of dichloromethane, n-heptane, n-octane, tetrahydrofuran, ethyl acetate, propyl butyrate, propofol, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, 1,4-dioxane, acetonitrile, or N,N-dimethylformamide. In one embodiment, the temperature of the esterification reaction in step S3 is controlled between -10 and 60°C, for example -10°C, -5°C, 0°C, 5°C, 10°C, 15°C, 20°C, 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, 40°C, 45°C, 50°C, 55°C or 60°C, and more preferably 0°C to 25°C, which is more conducive to improving the efficiency of the esterification reaction. In one embodiment, the esterification reaction in step S3 takes 2-4 hours, for example, 2 hours, 2.5 hours, 3 hours, 3.5 hours, 4 hours, 4.5 hours, or 5 hours. This application also provides a method for preparing a sulfonate photoacid generator having the general formula (I') as described above, comprising the following steps: (1) Compound 1 is reacted with compound HO-R2' to generate compound 2; (2) Compound 2 is subjected to a hydroxylation reaction with a hydroxylation reagent to generate hydroxylamine compound 3; (3) Hydroxylamine compound 3 is reacted with acylation reagent R1'SO2X 2 An esterification reaction is carried out to obtain the sulfonate photoacid generator; The reaction process is as follows: The definitions of R1' and R2' are as described above; X 1 X is selected from any of the halogen atoms. 2 It is a halogen atom. In step (1) above, compound 1 can undergo different types of reactions with the terminal-substituted compound HO-R2', such as Friedel-Crafts reaction, Heck coupling reaction, addition reaction or Click reaction, to obtain naphthalene anhydride (compound 2) with R2 substitution at the 4-position. Compound HO-R2' can be obtained by purchasing. In one embodiment, the molar ratio of compound 1 to compound HO-R2' in step (1) is 1:1.05-2, for example 1:1.05, 1:1.1, 1:1.3, 1:1.5, 1:1.8 or 1:2. In one embodiment, the reaction described in step (1) is carried out in the presence of an alkaline substance. In one embodiment, the alkaline substance is selected from potassium carbonate and / or sodium carbonate. In one embodiment, the reaction described in step (1) is carried out in the presence of a catalyst. In one embodiment, the catalyst is selected from any one of copper chloride, AlCl3, FeCl3, palladium acetate, Pd / C catalyst, or NaH. In one embodiment, the reaction in step (1) is carried out in a solvent selected from any one or a combination of at least two of toluene, p-xylene, chlorobenzene, tetrahydrofuran, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, ethanol, methanol, n-butanol, xylene, trimethylbenzene, or tetramethylbenzene. In one embodiment, the temperature of the reaction in step (1) is 70 to 110°C, for example 70°C, 75°C, 80°C, 85°C, 90°C, 95°C, 100°C, 105°C or 110°C, and the reaction time is 2 to 10 hours, for example 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours, 6 hours, 7 hours, 8 hours, 9 hours or 10 hours. In one embodiment, the hydroxylation reaction in step (2) is carried out under alkaline or acidic conditions. In one embodiment, the hydroxylamine reagent in step (2) is hydroxylamine sulfate or hydroxylamine hydrochloride. In one embodiment, the temperature of the hydroxylation reaction in step (2) is 25 to 100°C, for example 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, 40°C, 45°C, 50°C, 55°C, 60°C, 65°C, 70°C, 75°C, 80°C, 85°C, 90°C, 95°C or 100°C, and more preferably 75 to 100°C, which is more conducive to improving the efficiency of the hydroxylation reaction. In one embodiment, the hydroxylation reaction in step (2) takes 2-5 hours, for example, 2 hours, 2.5 hours, 3 hours, 3.5 hours, 4 hours, 4.5 hours or 5 hours. In step (3), hydroxylamine compound 3 reacts with acylation reagent R1'SO2X 2 Under alkaline conditions, an esterification reaction occurs in an inert solvent to produce sulfonate compounds. In one embodiment, the alkaline conditions are the reaction being carried out in the presence of any one of the following alkaline substances: pyridine, N-methylpyrrolidone, ethylenediamine, piperidine, or triethylamine, or a combination of at least two of these. In one embodiment, the inert solvent is selected from any one or a combination of at least two of dichloromethane, n-heptane, n-octane, tetrahydrofuran, ethyl acetate, propyl butyrate, propofol, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, 1,4-dioxane, acetonitrile, or N,N-dimethylformamide. In one embodiment, the temperature of the esterification reaction in step (3) is -10 to 60°C, for example -10°C, -5°C, 0°C, 5°C, 10°C, 15°C, 20°C, 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, 40°C, 45°C, 50°C, 55°C or 60°C, and more preferably 0 to 25°C, which is more conducive to improving the efficiency of the esterification reaction. In one embodiment, the esterification reaction in step (3) takes 2 to 4.5 hours, for example, 2 hours, 2.5 hours, 3 hours, 3.5 hours, 4 hours, or 4.5 hours. Furthermore, the raw materials and reagents used in the above preparation method are all known compounds in the prior art, which can be obtained commercially or conveniently prepared using known processes, and will not be described in detail here. The sulfonate-based photoacid generator of this application can be used for any known application of photoacid generators, such as resist films, liquid resists, negative resists, positive resists, resists for MEMS, materials for stereolithography and micro-stereolithography, etc. As a photoacid generator in a resist composition, it can be used together with a resin having acid-dissociable groups to prepare a resist for application in semiconductor lithography. This application also provides a photoresist composition comprising a resin component and an acid-generating agent, wherein the acid-generating agent is a sulfonate photoacid-generating agent having the structure shown in general formula (I) as described above. The resist compositions of this application can be classified into positive and negative compositions depending on the application. Except for sulfonate photoacid generators, positive compositions generally contain a resin component (B1) that increases solubility in alkaline developers through the action of acid. During the pattern formation process, after selective exposure, the acid-unstable groups protected by the protecting groups in the positive resin in the exposed areas will deprotect under the action of the acid generated by the photoacid generator, making them soluble in alkaline developers. Therefore, during alkaline development, the pattern remains in the unexposed areas, forming a positive pattern. Unlike positive compositions, negative compositions use a resin-crosslinking agent component (B2) that undergoes crosslinking under the action of acid and is insoluble in organic developers. In the exposed areas, under the acid catalysis of the photoacid generator, the resin and crosslinking agent react to form a polymer insoluble in the organic developer, which remains. Meanwhile, the unexposed areas are dissolved and removed by the organic developer, ultimately forming a negative image. The specific resin composition (B1) and resin-crosslinking agent composition (B2) can be found in the specification of Chinese patent application No. 202011299973.1.

[0046] to

[0076] The specific details of the disclosure will not be repeated here. In the positive / negative resist composition of this application, the sulfonate photoacid generator can undergo NO bond cleavage to produce sulfonic acid under active energy ray irradiation. Through the PEB process, the difference in solubility of the developer between the exposed and unexposed areas is achieved. The sulfonate photoacid generator product can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Thanks to the properties of the sulfonate photoacid generator of general formula I in this application, when a photoresist composition including this sulfonate photoacid generator and a resin component is used in a photosensitive composition dissolved and exposed in an alkaline developer, sufficiently high resolution and sensitivity can be achieved, even when forming fine patterns. At the same time, due to the increased sensitivity, the amount of photoinitiator in the photoresist can be reduced. In a preferred embodiment, the resin component has an acid-insecure group protected by a protecting group, and the acid-insecure group is selected from at least one of carboxyl, phenolic hydroxyl, or sulfonic acid groups; in one embodiment, the content of the acid-insecure group is 1 to 80 wt% (e.g., 1%, 3%, 5%, 8%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, or 80%) of the resin component content, preferably 3 to 70 wt%; in one embodiment, the protecting group includes at least one of the groups shown in formula (a) and formula (b): In equation (a), R 6 Selected from substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 20 Straight-chain alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C3-C 20Branched alkyl groups, substituted or unsubstituted C3-C 20 One or a combination of at least two of the cycloalkyl groups, Preferred R 6 Selected from substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 10 Straight-chain alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C3-C 10 Branched alkyl groups, substituted or unsubstituted C3-C 10 Any one or at least two of the cycloalkyl groups; In one implementation, R 6 Selected from any one or more of substituted or unsubstituted C1-C6 straight-chain alkyl groups, substituted or unsubstituted C3-C6 branched-chain alkyl groups, and substituted or unsubstituted C3-C6 cycloalkyl groups, preferably R. 8 When substituents are present, the substituents are selected from any one or a combination of at least two of halogens, hydroxyl groups, cyano groups, C1-C4 straight-chain alkyl groups, and C3-C5 branched-chain alkyl groups. Preferably, the substituents are selected from any one or a combination of at least two of fluorine atoms, methyl groups, and ethyl groups. R is preferred. 8 One or more C atoms in the C atom may be replaced by any heteroatom from O, S, N, or Si; further, R is preferred. 8 Selected from methoxy, ethoxy, n-propoxy, n-butoxy, tert-butoxy, benzyloxy, 1-methoxyethoxy, 1-ethoxyethoxy, or One or at least two of them, in equation (b), R 7 Selected from substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 20 Straight-chain alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C3-C 20 Branched alkyl groups, substituted or unsubstituted C3-C 20 Any one or a combination of at least two of the cycloalkyl groups, where n is 0 or 1, preferably R. 9 Selected from substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 10 Straight-chain alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C3-C 10 Branched alkyl groups, substituted or unsubstituted C3-C 10 Any one or a combination of at least two of the cycloalkyl groups, further preferably R 9 Selected from any one or a combination of at least two of substituted or unsubstituted C1-C6 straight-chain alkyl groups, substituted or unsubstituted C3-C6 branched-chain alkyl groups, and substituted or unsubstituted C3-C6 cycloalkyl groups; further, R is preferred. 7 The resin is selected from any one or a combination of at least two of tert-butoxycarbonyl, propoxycarbonyl, adamantoxycarbonyl, and tert-butoxycarbonylmethyl. Preferred resin components of the above types are beneficial for their synergistic effect with sulfonate photoacid generators, resulting in good photolithographic patterns. The amount of the aforementioned acid-generating agent can be referenced from the amount of conventional acid-generating agents in the prior art. Relative to the mass of the solid components in the resist composition, the weight content of the acid-generating agent is 0.01% to 5%, for example, 0.01%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 2.5%, 3%, 3.5%, 4%, 4.5%, 4.8%, or 5%, preferably 0.1% to 3%, thereby achieving good photosensitivity and improving the developing effect. Preferably, the resist composition also includes a solvent. The solvent is used to dissolve the various components in the resist composition to form a homogeneous solution, and is used to adjust its viscosity and coatability to facilitate film formation. Specific solvents can be found in Chinese patent application No. 202011299973.1. Optionally, the resist composition may also contain conventional additives in this field, which will not be elaborated here. This application also provides a photoresist composition comprising a resin component, a solvent, and an acid-generating agent, wherein the acid-generating agent is a sulfonate photoacid-generating agent having the structure shown in general formula (I') as described above. The resist compositions of this application can be classified into positive and negative compositions depending on the application. Besides sulfonate photoacid generators and solvents, the positive composition generally contains a resin component (B1) whose solubility in alkaline developers is increased by the action of acid. During the pattern formation process, after selective exposure, the acid-unstable groups protected by the protecting groups in the positive resin in the exposed areas are deprotected by the acid generated by the photoacid generator, making them soluble in alkaline developers. Therefore, during alkaline development, the pattern remains in the unexposed areas, forming a positive pattern. Unlike the positive composition, the negative composition uses a resin-crosslinking agent component (B2) that undergoes crosslinking under the action of acid and is insoluble in organic developers. In the exposed areas, under the catalysis of the acid generated by the photoacid generator, the resin and crosslinking agent react to form a polymer insoluble in organic developers and remain, while the unexposed areas are dissolved and removed by the organic developers, ultimately forming a negative pattern. The sulfonate photoacid generators of this application, when used in resist compositions, must first be soluble in a solvent. Commonly used solvents are organic solvents, selected from: esters, such as γ-butyrolactone (GBL), ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, ethyl lactate, methyl pyruvate, etc.; ketones, such as acetone, butanone, cyclohexanone, methyl isopentyl ketone, and 2-heptanone, etc.; ethers, such as methyl ether, diethyl ether, propyl ether, butyl ether, anisole, ethyl benzyl ether, cresol methyl ether, diphenyl ether, dibenzyl ether, butyl phenyl ether, etc.; polyols and their derivatives, such as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, ethylene glycol monoacetate, diethylene glycol monoacetate, propylene glycol monoacetate, dipropylene glycol monoacetate, ethylene glycol monoacetate, etc. Alcohol monopropionates, diethylene glycol monopropionates, propylene glycol monopropionates, dipropylene glycol monopropionates, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, and propylene glycol methyl ether acetate (PGMEA), etc.; aromatic organic solvents, such as toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, diethylbenzene, cumene, methyl isopropylbenzene, and mesitylene, etc.; nitrogen-containing polar solvents, such as N,N,N',N'-tetramethylurea, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, hexamethylphosphoramide, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolinone, and 2-trimethylpropionamide, etc. These organic solvents can be used alone or in mixtures of two or more. The solvent dissolves the components of the resist composition to form a homogeneous solution, which is used to adjust the viscosity and coatability. The solvent is preferably one or a mixture of two or more of propylene glycol methyl ether acetate (PGMEA), cyclohexanone, or γ-butyrolactone (GBL). Typically, the amount of solvent used is preferably selected to achieve a solids percentage concentration of 5-30% (e.g., 5%, 10%, 13%, 15%, 18%, 20%, 25%, 28%, or 30%). In the resist composition (positive or negative) of this application, the sulfonate photoacid generator can undergo NO bond cleavage to produce sulfonic acid under irradiation with active energy rays. After a post-exposure heat treatment (PEB) process, the difference in solubility of the developer between the exposed and unexposed areas is achieved. The sulfonate photoacid generator can be used alone or in combination of two or more. Based on the total mass of the solid components of the resist composition (100%), the mass percentage of the sulfonate photoacid generator is 0.01% to 10%, for example, 0.01%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 2.5%, 3%, 3.5%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, or 10%, preferably 0.1% to 5%. Within this range, it can effectively exert both photosensitivity to active energy rays and the physical properties of the insoluble portion in alkaline developer, thus improving the developing effect. In the positive resist composition of this application, the resin component (B1) can be obtained by vinyl polymerization of a vinyl monomer containing a base-soluble acidic group and, as desired, a vinyl monomer containing a hydrophobic group, wherein some or all of the hydrogen atoms of the base-soluble acidic group are replaced by an acid-dissociable group as a protecting group. The base-soluble acidic group can be a phenolic hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, or a sulfonic acid group, and the acid-dissociable group can dissociate in the presence of a strong acid, which is generated by a photoacid generator (I). For ease of description, the unit structure formed by the polymerization of vinyl monomers containing alkali-soluble acidic groups is defined as an acid-based resin. The acid-based resin and the unit structure formed by the polymerization of vinyl monomers containing hydrophobic groups together constitute the resin component (B1). The acid-based resin itself is alkali-insoluble or sparingly soluble. The alkali-soluble acidic groups in the resin component (B1) can be at least one of phenolic hydroxyl, carboxyl, or sulfonic acid groups. Among them, the resin containing phenolic hydroxyl groups (B1-1) can be selected from phenolic varnish resin, copolymer of polyhydroxystyrene-hydroxystyrene, copolymer of hydroxystyrene-styrene, copolymer of hydroxystyrene-styrene-(meth)acrylic acid derivative, phenol-benzenedimethanol condensation resin, cresol-benzenedimethanol condensation resin, polyimide containing phenolic hydroxyl groups, polyamic acid containing phenolic hydroxyl groups, phenol-dicyclopentadiene condensation resin, etc., preferably phenolic varnish resin, copolymer of polyhydroxystyrene-hydroxystyrene, copolymer of hydroxystyrene-styrene, copolymer of hydroxystyrene-styrene-(meth)acrylic acid derivative, phenol-benzenedimethanol condensation resin, and cresol-benzenedimethanol condensation resin. The resin containing phenolic hydroxyl groups can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The phenolic varnish resin is obtained by addition condensation of an aromatic compound with a phenolic hydroxyl group (hereinafter referred to as "phenol") and an aldehyde under an acid catalyst. The phenols are mainly alkylphenols and aromatic phenols, and can be selected from phenol, o-cresol, m-cresol, p-cresol, o-ethylphenol, m-ethylphenol, p-ethylphenol, o-butylphenol, m-butylphenol, p-butylphenol, 2,3-xylenol, 2,4-xylenol, 2,5-xylenol, 2,6-xylenol, 3,4-xylenol, 3,5-xylenol, 2,3,5-trimethylphenol, 3,4,5-trimethylphenol, p-phenol, resorcinol, hydroquinone, hydroquinone monomethyl ether, pyrogallol, pyrogallol, hydroxydiphenyl, bisphenol A, gallic acid, α-naphthol, β-naphthol, etc. The aldehydes may be selected from formaldehyde, trioxymethylene, acetaldehyde, furfural, benzaldehyde, and nitrobenzaldehyde, etc. Specific phenolic varnish resins may be selected from phenol-formaldehyde condensation phenolic varnish resins, cresol-formaldehyde condensation phenolic varnish resins, phenol-naphthol-formaldehyde condensation phenolic varnish resins, etc. The molecular weight of the phenolic hydroxyl-containing resin is preferably around 1000-50000. As mentioned above, cross-linking groups can be introduced into the phenolic hydroxyl-containing resin as needed, such as carboxyl groups, alcohol hydroxyl groups, and cyclic ether groups bonded to aromatic groups. The carboxyl group may be derived from: unsaturated monocarboxylic acids, such as (meth)acrylic acid, butenoic acid, and cinnamic acid; unsaturated polycarboxylic acids, such as maleic acid, itaconic acid, transbutenic acid, and citraconic acid; unsaturated polycarboxylic acid alkyl groups (C1-C2). 10 Esters, such as monoalkyl maleic acid esters, monoalkyl fumaric acid esters, and monoalkyl citrate esters; and their salts, such as alkali metal salts (sodium and potassium salts, etc.), alkaline earth metal salts (calcium and magnesium salts, etc.), amine salts, and ammonium salts, etc. The carboxyl group is preferably derived from (meth)acrylic acid. As a preferred example of a carboxyl-containing resin, acrylic resin is a resin obtained by copolymerizing (meth)acrylic acid with other monomers having unsaturated bonds. The monomers copolymerized with (meth)acrylic acid can be selected from unsaturated carboxylic acids, (meth)acrylates, (meth)acrylamide, allyl compounds, vinyl ethers, etc., which are different from (meth)acrylic acid. (Meth)acrylates can be selected from methyl (meth)acrylate, ethyl (meth)acrylate, propyl (meth)acrylate, pentyl (meth)acrylate, tert-octyl (meth)acrylate, etc. Among (meth)acrylates without epoxy groups, (meth)acrylates having an alicyclic skeleton are preferred; in (meth)acrylates having an alicyclic skeleton, the alicyclic group can be monocyclic or polycyclic. Monocyclic alicyclic groups can be selected from cyclopentyl and cyclohexyl, and polycyclic alicyclic groups can be selected from norbornyl, isobornyl, tricyclononyl, etc. The sulfonic acid group may be derived from: vinyl sulfonic acid, (methyl)allyl sulfonic acid, styrene sulfonic acid, α-methylstyrene sulfonic acid, 2-(meth)acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid and their salts, such as alkali metal (sodium and potassium, etc.) salts, alkaline earth metal (calcium and magnesium, etc.) salts, grade I-III amine salts, ammonium salts and quaternary ammonium salts, etc. The hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of resins containing alkali-soluble acidic groups varies depending on the resin skeleton of the alkali-soluble resin, generally ranging from 4 to 19, preferably 6 to 17. An HLB value ≥ 4 indicates better developability during development; an HLB value ≤ 19 indicates better water resistance of the cured material. The acid-based resin has a mass percentage content of 1-100% in the resin component (B1), for example 1%, 3%, 5%, 8%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% or 100%, preferably 10-70%, within which the resist composition can obtain better developability. The vinyl monomer containing the hydrophobic group can be selected from (meth)acrylates and aromatic olefin monomers, etc. The (meth)acrylate may be selected from: (meth)acrylate C1-C 20 Alkyl esters, such as methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, n-propyl methacrylate, isopropyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, n-hexyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, etc.; methacrylates containing alicyclic groups, such as dicyclopentyl methacrylate, dicyclopentenyl methacrylate, isobornyl methacrylate, etc. The aromatic olefin monomer may be selected from alkanes and aromatics having a styrene skeleton, such as styrene, α-methylstyrene, vinyltoluene, 2,4-dimethylstyrene, ethylstyrene, isopropylstyrene, butylstyrene, phenylstyrene, cyclohexylstyrene, benzylstyrene, and vinylnaphthalene. The mass percentage content of the unit structure formed by the polymerization of the above-mentioned hydrophobic vinyl monomers in the resin component (B1) is preferably 30-90%, for example 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80% or 90%. Within this range, the resist composition can obtain better developability. The acid-dissociating group used as a protecting group can be selected from: substituted methyl, 1-substituted ethyl, 1-branched alkyl, silyl, germanyl, alkoxycarbonyl, acyl, and cyclic acid-dissociating groups, etc. The acid-dissociating group can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The substituted methyl group may be selected from: methoxymethyl, methylthiomethyl, ethoxymethyl, ethylthiomethyl, methoxyethoxymethyl, benzyloxymethyl, benzylthiomethyl, benzoylmethyl, bromobenzoylmethyl, methoxybenzoylmethyl, methylthiobenzoylmethyl, α-methylbenzoylmethyl, cyclopropylmethyl, benzyl, diphenylmethyl, triphenylmethyl, bromobenzyl, nitrobenzyl, methoxybenzyl, methylthiobenzyl, ethoxybenzyl, ethylthiobenzyl, piperonyl, methoxycarbonylmethyl, ethoxycarbonylmethyl, n-propoxycarbonylmethyl, isopropoxycarbonylmethyl, n-butoxycarbonylmethyl, tert-butoxycarbonylmethyl, etc. The 1-substituted ethyl group may be selected from: 1-methoxyethyl, 1-methylthioethyl, 1,1-dimethoxyethyl, 1-ethoxyethyl, 1-ethylthioethyl, 1,1-diethoxyethyl, 1-ethoxypropyl, 1-propoxyethyl, 1-cyclohexyloxyethyl, 1-phenoxyethyl, 1-phenylthioethyl, 1,1-diphenoxyethyl, 1-benzyloxyethyl, 1-benzylthioethyl, 1-cyclopropylethyl, 1-phenylethyl, 1,1-diphenylethyl, 1-methoxycarbonylethyl, 1-ethoxycarbonylethyl, 1-n-propoxycarbonylethyl, 1-isopropoxycarbonylethyl, 1-n-butoxycarbonylethyl, 1-tert-butoxycarbonylethyl, etc. The 1-branched alkyl group may be selected from: isopropyl, dibutyl, tert-butyl, 1,1-dimethylpropyl, 1-methylbutyl, 1,1-dimethylbutyl, etc. The silane group may be selected from: trimethylsilane, ethyl dimethylsilane, methyl diethylsilane, triethylsilane, isopropyl dimethylsilane, methyl diisopropylsilane, triisopropylsilane, tert-butyl dimethylsilane, methyl ditert-butylsilane, tritert-butylsilane, phenyl dimethylsilane, methyl diphenylsilane, triphenylsilane, etc. The germanyl group may be selected from: trimethylgermanyl, ethyl dimethylgermanyl, methyl diethylgermanyl, triethylgermanyl, isopropyl dimethylgermanyl, methyl diisopropylgermanyl, triisopropylgermanyl, tert-butyl dimethylgermanyl, methyl ditert-butylgermanyl, tritert-butylgermanyl, phenyl dimethylgermanyl, methyl diphenylgermanyl, and triphenylgermanyl. The alkoxycarbonyl group can be selected from: methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, isopropoxycarbonyl, tert-butoxycarbonyl, etc. The acyl group may be selected from: acetyl, propionyl, butyryl, heptayl, hexanoyl, valeryl, pterovaleryl, isovaleryl, lauroyl, myristoyl, palmitoyl, stearyl, oxaloyl, malonyl, succinoyl, glutayl, adipyl, heptayl, octanoyl, azeloyl, sebacyl, acrylyl, propynyl, methacrylyl, butenoyl, oleoyl, cis-butenyl, trans-butenyl, sans-carboxyl, camphenyl, benzoyl, phthaloyl, isophthaloyl, terephthaloyl, naphthyl, tolueneyl, hydroatroyl, atroyl, cinnamyl, furanoyl, thiophene, nicotinyl, isonicoyl, p-toluenesulfonyl, methanesulfonyl, etc. The cyclic acid dissociative group may be selected from: cyclopropyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, cyclohexenyl, 4-methoxycyclohexyl, tetrahydropyranyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, tetrahydrothiaranyl, tetrahydrothiofuranyl, 3-bromotetrahydropyranyl, 4-methoxytetrahydropyranyl, 4-methoxytetrahydrothiaranyl, 3-tetrahydrothiophene-1,1-dioxide, etc. In addition to the groups mentioned above, the acid-dissociable groups used as protecting groups may also be selected from at least one of the following groups: in, R8, R9, R 10 Each independently represents a straight-chain or branched alkyl group of C1-C6, C1-C 10 A straight-chain or branched fluorinated alkyl group, wherein R8, R9 and R10 exist independently of each other or any two of them are bonded together to form a ring; R 11 R 12 and R13 Each represents C1-C independently. 20 hydrocarbon group, R 11 R 12 and R 13 They exist independently of each other, or any two of them are suitable for forming a ring by bonding with each other; R 14 It represents straight-chain or branched alkyl groups of C1-C6 and cycloalkyl groups of C3-C6, where n is 0 or 1. Specifically, in equation (a), when R8, R9 and R 10 When R8, R9, and R9 are alkyl groups, exemplary choices include methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl, n-pentyl, isopentyl, tert-pentyl, n-hexyl, n-heptyl, n-octyl, 2-ethylhexyl, n-nonylyl, n-decyl, etc.; 10 When any two groups are bonded together to form a ring, it is preferable to have C5-C6 bonds. 20 Monocyclic or polycyclic aliphatic hydrocarbons, exemplary choices include cyclopentane, cyclohexane, cycloheptane, cyclooctane, adamantane, norbornene, tricyclic decane, tetracyclic decane, etc.; by combining R8, R9, and R... 10 The ring formed by any two groups in the formula may have substituents, such as hydroxyl, cyano, and oxygen atoms (=O), and straight-chain or branched alkyl groups having C1-C4. In one embodiment, formula (a) may be selected from groups of the following molecular formulas (formulas a1-a6); Specifically, in equation (b), R 11 R 12 and R 13 For having C1-C 20 Aliphatic and / or aromatic hydrocarbon groups. When R 11 R 12 and R 13 When the group is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group, it can be a straight-chain structure or a cyclic structure. The straight-chain structure can be selected from methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl and isobutyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl, n-pentyl, isopentyl, tert-pentyl, n-hexyl, n-heptyl, n-octyl, 2-ethyl-n-hexyl, n-nonyl, n-decyl and n-undecyl, etc.; the cyclic structure can be selected from cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, cycloheptyl, cyclononyl, cyclodecyl, cycloundecyl, cyclododecyl, and polycyclic groups of the following molecular formulas (formulas b1-b8); And, in equation (b), when R 11 R 12 and R 13 When it is an aromatic hydrocarbon group, it can be selected from phenyl, naphthyl, anthraceneyl, biphenyl, phenanthryl, and fluoreneyl. When R... 11 R 12 and R13 When both aliphatic and aromatic groups are present, benzyl, phenethyl, 3-phenyl-n-propyl, 4-phenyl-n-butyl, α-naphthylmethyl, β-naphthylmethyl, 2-(α-naphthyl)ethyl, and 2-(β-naphthyl)ethyl can be selected. The aromatic ring can be substituted or partially substituted, and the substituents are selected from halogen atoms, hydroxyl groups, alkyl or alkoxy groups having C1-C10 atoms, and C2-C4 atoms. 10 The alkyl acyl group and alkyl acyloxy group. In formula (b), R 11 Preferably, hydrogen atoms, R 12 Preferably methyl, R 13 Preferably, it is ethyl, isobutyl, cyclohexyl, 2-ethylhexyl, or octadecyl; when R 12 and R 13 When R11 and R12 bond together to form a ring, C4-C6 heterocycles containing O, S, or N atoms are preferred; when R11 and R12 bond together to form a ring, C3-C6 heterocycles are preferred. 12 A non-saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon ring. In one embodiment, formula (b) may also be selected from groups of the following molecular formulas (formulas b9-b14): Specifically, formula (c) can be selected from tert-butyloxycarbonyl and tert-butyloxycarbonylmethyl. The acid-dissociable groups used as protecting groups are preferably tert-butyl, benzyl, 1-methoxyethyl, 1-ethoxyethyl, trimethylsilyl, tert-butoxycarbonyl, tert-butoxycarbonylmethyl, tetrahydropyranyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, tetrahydrothiaranyl, and tetrahydrothiofuranyl. The developing effect of the resist composition can be adjusted by regulating the content of acid-dissociable groups. In order to further improve its developing effect, in one embodiment, the introduction rate of acid-dissociable groups in the acid-based resin (the ratio of the number of acid-dissociable groups to the sum of unprotected acid groups and acid-dissociable groups) is 15-100%, for example 15%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% or 100%. The average molecular weight of the acid-based resin is 1,000-150,000, for example, 1,000, 3,000, 5,000, 8,000, 10,000, 13,000, 15,000, 20,000, 50,000, 80,000, 100,000, 130,000, or 150,000. The average molecular weight of the acid-based resin includes, but is not limited to, the above ranges, and limiting it to these ranges is beneficial for improving its water resistance, thereby improving the developing effect of the developing pattern. In another embodiment, the average molecular weight of the acid-based resin is 3,000-100,000. In the negative resist composition of this application, the resin-crosslinking agent component (B2) mainly consists of a phenolic hydroxyl-containing resin (B2-1) and a crosslinking agent (B2-2). The phenolic hydroxyl-containing resin (B2-1) can be the same as that described above as B1-1. B2-1 constitutes 30-90% of the total weight of the solid components of the composition, for example, 30%, 35%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%, preferably 40-80%. The crosslinking agent (B2-2) is a compound used for crosslinking and polymerizing a resin (B2-1) containing phenolic hydroxyl groups under the catalysis of an acid produced by a photoacid-producing agent (A). It can be selected from bisphenol A-based epoxy compounds, bisphenol F-based epoxy compounds, bisphenol S-based epoxy compounds, phenolic varnish resin-based epoxy compounds, soluble phenolic resin-based epoxy compounds, poly(hydroxystyrene)-based epoxy compounds, oxetane compounds, melamine compounds containing hydroxymethyl groups, benzoguanamine compounds containing hydroxymethyl groups, urea compounds containing hydroxymethyl groups, phenolic compounds containing hydroxymethyl groups, melamine compounds containing alkoxyalkyl groups, benzoguanamine compounds containing alkoxyalkyl groups, urea compounds containing alkoxyalkyl groups, phenolic compounds containing alkoxyalkyl groups, melamine resins containing carboxylmethyl groups, benzoguanamine resins containing carboxylmethyl groups, urea resins containing carboxylmethyl groups, phenolic resins containing carboxylmethyl groups, melamine compounds containing carboxylmethyl groups, benzoguanamine compounds containing carboxylmethyl groups, urea compounds containing carboxylmethyl groups, and phenolic compounds containing carboxylmethyl groups, etc. Among these crosslinking agents, melamine compounds containing methoxymethyl groups (such as hexamethoxymethyl melamine), glycourea compounds containing methoxymethyl groups, and urea compounds containing methoxymethyl groups are preferred. For example, melamine compounds containing methoxymethyl groups are commercially available under trade names such as CYMEL 300, CYMEL 301, CYMEL 303, and CYMEL 305 (manufactured by Mitsui Cyanamide Co., Ltd.), glycourea compounds containing methoxymethyl groups are commercially available under trade names such as CYMEL 1174 (manufactured by Mitsui Cyanamide Co., Ltd.), and urea compounds containing methoxymethyl groups are commercially available under trade names such as MX290 (manufactured by Sanwa Chemical Co., Ltd.). Considering the reduction in residual film yield and resolution issues, the content of crosslinking agent (B2-2) is typically 10%-50%, for example, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, or 50%, preferably 15%-40%, based on the total molar amount of all acidic functional groups in the phenolic hydroxyl resin (B2-1) as 100%. As an optional component, the above (positive or negative) resist composition may also contain an aromatic carboxylic acid compound (C), i.e., at least one carboxylic acid group bonded to an aromatic group. The aromatic carboxylic acid compound can promote the deprotection reaction of the resin component in the composition after exposure. The aromatic carboxylic acid compound (C) can be selected from at least one of low molecular weight aromatic carboxylic acid compounds or high molecular weight aromatic carboxylic acid compounds. In aromatic carboxylic acid compounds, in addition to the carboxylic acid group, one or more substituents may be present. These substituents may be selected from: halogen, hydroxyl, mercapto, sulfide, silyl, silanol, nitro, nitroso, sulfonate, phosphonoyl, and phosphonate groups; alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, and aralkyl groups; and bonds containing heteroatoms such as O, Si, and N, including ether bonds, thioether bonds, carbonyl bonds, thiocarbonyl bonds, ester bonds, amide bonds, urethane bonds, imino bonds, carbonate bonds, sulfonyl bonds, sulfinyl bonds, and azo bonds. The substituents can be straight-chain, branched, or cyclic. C1-C substituents are preferred in aromatic carboxylic acid compounds. 12 Alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, and halogen compounds. Low molecular weight aromatic carboxylic acid compounds can be monocarboxylic acid compounds or polycarboxylic acid compounds. Exemplarily, low molecular weight aromatic carboxylic acid compounds may be selected from: benzoic acid; hydroxybenzoic acid, such as salicylic acid, m-hydroxybenzoic acid, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid; alkylbenzoic acid, such as o-methylbenzoic acid, m-methylbenzoic acid, and p-methylbenzoic acid; halobenzoic acid, such as o-chlorobenzoic acid, m-chlorobenzoic acid, p-chlorobenzoic acid, o-bromobenzoic acid, m-bromobenzoic acid, and p-bromobenzoic acid; alkoxybenzoic acid, such as o-methoxybenzoic acid, m-methoxybenzoic acid, p-methoxybenzoic acid, o-ethoxybenzoic acid, m-ethoxybenzoic acid, and p-ethoxybenzoic acid; aminobenzoic acid, such as o-aminobenzoic acid, m-aminobenzoic acid, and p-aminobenzoic acid; and acyloxybenzoic acid, such as o-acetoxybenzoic acid, m-acetoxybenzoic acid, and p-acetoxybenzoic acid. Oxybenzoic acid; naphthoic acid, such as 1-naphthoic acid and 2-naphthoic acid; hydroxynaphthoic acid, such as 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, 1-hydroxy-3-naphthoic acid, 1-hydroxy-4-naphthoic acid, 1-hydroxy-5-naphthoic acid, 1-hydroxy-6-naphthoic acid, 1-hydroxy-7-naphthoic acid, 1-hydroxy-8-naphthoic acid, 2-hydroxy-1-naphthoic acid, 2-hydroxy-3-naphthoic acid, 2-hydroxy-4-naphthoic acid, 2-hydroxy-5-naphthoic acid, 2-hydroxy-6-naphthoic acid, 2-hydroxy-7-naphthoic acid, and 2-hydroxy-8-naphthoic acid; aminonaphthoic acid, such as 1-amino-2-naphthoic acid, 1-amino-3-naphthoic acid, 1-amino-4-naphthoic acid, 1-amino-5-naphthoic acid, 1-amino -6-naphthoic acid, 1-amino-7-naphthoic acid, 1-amino-8-naphthoic acid, 2-amino-1-naphthoic acid, 2-amino-3-naphthoic acid, 2-amino-4-naphthoic acid, 2-amino-5-naphthoic acid, 2-amino-6-naphthoic acid, 2-amino-7-naphthoic acid, and 2-amino-8-naphthoic acid; alkoxynaphthoic acids, such as 1-methoxy-2-naphthoic acid, 1-methoxy-3-naphthoic acid, 1-methoxy-4-naphthoic acid, 1-methoxy-5-naphthoic acid, 1-methoxy-6-naphthoic acid, 1-methoxy-7-naphthoic acid, 1-methoxy-8-naphthoic acid, 2-methoxy-1-naphthoic acid, 2-methoxy-3-naphthoic acid, 2-methoxy-4-naphthoic acid, 2-methoxy 5-Naphthoic acid, 2-methoxy-6-naphthoic acid, 2-methoxy-7-naphthoic acid, 2-methoxy-8-naphthoic acid, 1-ethoxy-2-naphthoic acid, 1-ethoxy-3-naphthoic acid, 1-ethoxy-4-naphthoic acid, 1-ethoxy-5-naphthoic acid, 1-ethoxy-6-naphthoic acid, 1-ethoxy-7-naphthoic acid, 1-ethoxy-8-naphthoic acid, 2-ethoxy-1-naphthoic acid, 2-ethoxy-3-naphthoic acid, 2-ethoxy-4-naphthoic acid, 2-ethoxy-5-naphthoic acid, 2-ethoxy-6-naphthoic acid, 2-ethoxy-7-naphthoic acid, and 2-ethoxy-8-naphthoic acid, etc.; phthalic acids, such as phthalic acid, terephthalic acid, and isophthalic acid;Naphthalenedicarboxylic acids, such as 1,2-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 1,3-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 1,5-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 1,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 1,7-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 1,8-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 2,3-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, and 2,7-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid; biphenyl carboxylic acids, such as 1,1′-biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid, 1,1′-biphenyl-3-carboxylic acid, and 1,1′-biphenyl-2-carboxylic acid. Acids; biphenyl dicarboxylic acids, such as 1,1′-biphenyl-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid, 1,1′-biphenyl-3,3′-dicarboxylic acid, 1,1′-biphenyl-2,2′-dicarboxylic acid, 1,1′-biphenyl-3,4′-dicarboxylic acid, 1,1′-biphenyl-2,4′-dicarboxylic acid, and 1,1′-biphenyl-2,3′-dicarboxylic acid; trivalent or higher-valent aromatic polycarboxylic acids, such as pyromellitic acid, trimellitic acid, and trimellitic acid. Triacids; hydroxyphenyl dicarboxylic acids, such as 5-hydroxyisophthalic acid, 4-hydroxyisophthalic acid, and 2-hydroxyisophthalic acid; dihydroxyphenyl dicarboxylic acids, such as 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid, 2,6-dihydroxyisophthalic acid, 4,6-dihydroxyisophthalic acid, 2,3-dihydroxyphthalic acid, 2,4-dihydroxyphthalic acid, and 3,4-dihydroxyphthalic acid, etc.; pyridine carboxylic acids, such as pyridine-2 -Carboxylic acids, such as pyridine-3-carboxylic acid and pyridine-4-carboxylic acid; pyridine dicarboxylic acids, such as pyridine-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, pyridine-3,5-dicarboxylic acid, pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid and pyridine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid; pyrimidine carboxylic acids, such as pyrimidine-2-carboxylic acid, pyrimidine-4-carboxylic acid, pyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid and pyrimidine-6-carboxylic acid; and pyrimidine dicarboxylic acids, such as 2,6-pyrimidine dicarboxylic acid and 2,5-pyrimidine dicarboxylic acid. These low molecular weight aromatic carboxylic acid compounds can be used alone or in combination of two or more. High molecular weight aromatic carboxylic acid compounds can be aromatic polymers with carboxylic acid groups bonded to aromatic groups. Suitably, the monomer has carboxylic acid groups bonded to aromatic groups and unsaturated double bonds, and does not include acid-instable groups protected by protecting groups. The polymer can be a homopolymer or a copolymer. As a preferred comonomer used in conjunction with the above-described monomers, monomers used in the preparation of acrylic resins, such as (meth)acrylic acid, unsaturated carboxylic acids other than (meth)acrylic acid, (meth)acrylates, (meth)acrylamide, allyl compounds, vinyl ethers, vinyl esters, and styrene, can be used. As an optional component, the above-described (positive or negative) resist composition may further include a crosslinking compound containing at least one crosslinking group. The crosslinking group may be selected from (but is not limited to) at least one of epoxy groups and oxetyl groups. The crosslinking compound may include low-molecular-weight crosslinking compounds, high-molecular-weight crosslinking compounds, or a combination of both. The cross-linking low-molecular-weight compound can be selected from at least one of the following: difunctional or higher-functional polyfunctional epoxy compounds and polyfunctional oxobutane compounds. Multifunctional epoxy compounds can be selected from: difunctional epoxy resins, such as dialdehyde type A epoxy resin and bisphenol type S epoxy resin; glycidyl ester type epoxy resins, such as dimer acid glycidyl ester and triglycidyl ester; glycidylamine type epoxy resins, such as tetraglycidylaminodiphenylmethane and tetraglycidyldiaminomethylcyclohexane; heterocyclic epoxy resins, such as triglycidyl isocyanurate; and multifunctional epoxy resins, such as phloroglucinol triglycidyl ether and tetrahydroxyphenylethane tetraglycidyl ether. Alicyclic epoxy compounds are also preferred as multifunctional epoxy compounds because they readily form highly transparent films. The polyfunctional oxetane compound may be selected from at least one of 3,3′-(oxadimethylene)bis(3-ethyloxetane), 4,4-bis[(3-ethyl-3-oxetane)methyl]biphenyl and 3,7-bis(3-oxetane)-5-oxonane. The crosslinking polymer can be selected from at least one of the following: epoxy-containing resins and resins containing unsaturated double bonds. Epoxy-containing resins can be polymerized from epoxy-containing monomers or mixtures of monomers, and can be selected from phenolic varnish epoxy resins, such as phenolic varnish-type epoxy resins, brominated phenolic varnish-type epoxy resins, etc.; alicyclic epoxy resins, such as epoxidation products of dicyclopentadiene-type phenolic resins; and aromatic epoxy resins, such as epoxidation products of naphthalene-type phenolic resins. Optionally, the resist composition may also contain conventional additives in the field, which will not be elaborated here. When using the resist composition of this application, a resin solution dissolved or dispersed in an organic solvent can first be coated onto a substrate using a method such as spin coating. Then, the solvent is evaporated by heating, thereby forming a resist film on the substrate. Then, the wiring pattern is irradiated (i.e., exposed) and then after post-exposure heat treatment (PEB), alkaline development is performed to form the wiring pattern. The drying conditions of the coated resin solution vary depending on the solvent used, but are preferably carried out at 50°C-150°C (e.g., 50°C, 70°C, 90°C, 100°C, 110°C, 120°C, 130°C, 140°C or 150°C) for 1-30 minutes (e.g., 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 25 minutes or 30 minutes), and are appropriately determined by the amount of residual solvent (by weight) after drying. After forming a resist film on the substrate, the wiring pattern is irradiated with light. The irradiation can be performed using low-pressure mercury lamps, medium-pressure mercury lamps, high-pressure mercury lamps, ultra-high-pressure mercury lamps, xenon lamps, metal halide lamps, electron beam irradiation devices, X-ray irradiation devices, lasers (such as argon lasers, dye lasers, nitrogen lasers, LEDs, helium-cadmium lasers), etc., with high-pressure mercury lamps and LED lamps being preferred. The temperature for post-exposure heating (PEB) is typically 40°C to 200°C, preferably 60°C to 150°C. If the temperature is below 40°C, the deprotection or cross-linking reaction cannot proceed sufficiently, resulting in insufficient solubility difference between the exposed and unexposed areas, thus preventing pattern formation. If the temperature is above 200°C, productivity suffers. The heating time is typically 0.5 minutes to 30 minutes. Developing is performed using an alkaline developer, which includes the use of an alkaline developer. The alkaline developer can be selected from 0.1-10% (w / w) aqueous solutions of tetramethylammonium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or sodium bicarbonate. The alkaline developer may also contain water-soluble organic solvents such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, tetrahydrofuran, or N-methylpyrrolidone. Developing methods can include immersion, spraying, and aerosol methods, with aerosol method being preferred. The developer temperature is preferably used at 25-40°C, and the developing time is appropriately determined based on the thickness of the resist film, ultimately obtaining a pattern corresponding to the mask. On the other hand, this application provides a patterning method, including film formation and patterning using a resist composition, wherein the resist composition is the resist composition described above. When using the resist composition of this application, a resin solution dissolved or dispersed in an organic solvent can first be coated onto a substrate using a method such as spin coating. Then, the solvent is heated to evaporate, thereby forming a resist film on the substrate. Then, the wiring pattern is irradiated (i.e., exposed) and then, after post-exposure heat treatment (PEB), alkaline development is performed to form the wiring pattern. The drying conditions of the coated resin solution vary depending on the solvent used, but are preferably carried out at 50 to 150°C (50°C, 70°C, 90°C, 100°C, 110°C, 120°C, 130°C, 140°C or 150°C) for 1 to 30 minutes (e.g., 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 25 minutes or 30 minutes), which is appropriately determined by the amount of residual solvent (mass percentage) after drying. After forming a resist film on the substrate, the wiring pattern is irradiated with light. The irradiation can be performed using low-pressure mercury lamps, medium-pressure mercury lamps, high-pressure mercury lamps, ultra-high-pressure mercury lamps, xenon lamps, metal halide lamps, electron beam irradiation devices, X-ray irradiation devices, lasers (such as argon lasers, dye lasers, nitrogen lasers, LEDs, helium-cadmium lasers), etc., with high-pressure mercury lamps and LED lamps being preferred. The temperature for post-exposure heating (PEB) is typically 40–200°C, preferably 60–150°C. If the temperature is below 40°C, the deprotection or cross-linking reaction cannot be sufficiently carried out, resulting in insufficient difference in solubility between the exposed and unexposed areas, thus preventing pattern formation. If the temperature is above 200°C, productivity suffers. The heating time is typically 0.5–30 minutes. Developing is performed using an alkaline developer, which includes the use of an alkaline developer. The alkaline developer can be selected from 0.1–10% (by mass) aqueous solutions of tetramethylammonium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or sodium bicarbonate. The alkaline developer may also contain water-soluble organic solvents such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, tetrahydrofuran, or N-methylpyrrolidone. Developing methods can include immersion, spraying, and aerosol methods, with aerosol method being preferred. The developer temperature is preferably between 25 and 40°C, and the developing time is appropriately determined based on the thickness of the resist film, ultimately obtaining a pattern corresponding to the mask. On the other hand, this application also provides the application of the sulfonate ester photoacid generator or photoresist composition as described above in the preparation of protective films, interlayer insulating materials or pattern transfer materials for electronic components. The above-described resist composition of this application can be applied to the preparation of resist films, liquid resists, negative resists, positive resists, resists for MEMS, stereolithography and micro-stereolithography materials, protective films for electronic components, interlayer insulating materials, and pattern transfer materials. Because the resist composition of this application has high sensitivity and strong absorption to active energy rays with wavelengths of 300-450 nm (especially 365 nm, 385 nm, and 405 nm), it can quickly produce acid at low exposure levels, while also exhibiting good solubility, thermal stability, and chemical stability. Therefore, when the above-mentioned resist composition is used to form a protective film, interlayer insulating material, or pattern transfer material through a patterning development method, the corresponding electronic components can have better overall performance. The above applications may specifically include forming an interlayer insulating film from the resist composition for use in TFTs and panels of liquid crystal display devices; it may also be used as a protective film for color filters and spacers, and as a PS photoresist and BCS photoresist for pattern transfer. On the other hand, this application provides an electronic component comprising a protective film, interlayer insulating material, or pattern transfer material prepared from the resist composition described above. The electronic components include, but are not limited to, liquid crystal display devices, organic EL display devices, Micro-LED, Mini-LED and quantum dot LED display devices, etc. Compared with the prior art, the sulfonate ester photoacid generator, its preparation method, and its application provided in this application have the following beneficial effects: The photoacid generator of this application is fluorine-free, and the sulfonic acid produced by its photolysis is no weaker than that of traditional fluorine-containing photoacids. This solves the problem that existing sulfonate photoacid generators contain fluorine-containing acid radicals and have weak acidity due to the absence of fluoride-containing acid radicals. Furthermore, the sulfonate photoacid generator of this application can improve the photosensitivity and resolution of the photosensitive composition. The sulfonate photoacid generator of this application does not contain perfluorinated substituted alkyl groups, has a high acid production rate, good solubility, is green and environmentally friendly, and can meet the application requirements for future PFAS control. After reading and understanding the detailed description, other aspects can be understood. Detailed Implementation The technical solution of this application will be further illustrated below through specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments described are merely illustrative of this application and should not be construed as specific limitations thereof. Example 1 This embodiment provides a sulfonate-based photoacid-generating agent, the preparation process of which is as follows: Under nitrogen protection, 200 g of toluene, 17.13 g of bromomethylcyclopropane, 32.23 g of pinacol diborane, 0.58 g of Pd2(dba)3, 47.36 g of potassium acetate, and 1.82 g of x-phos were added to a 500 mL four-necked flask (equipped with a condenser). The mixture was stirred in an oil bath and heated to 110 °C, then refluxed for 6 h. The temperature was lowered to 50 °C, 100 g of water was added, and the mixture was stirred for 10 min. The water was separated, and 3.0 g of activated carbon (878) was added for decolorization. The mixture was washed twice with water (100 g each time at a temperature of 20-30 °C). After removing the solvent, 9.55 g of cyclopropyl methylboronic acid ester was obtained by column chromatography. Under nitrogen protection, in a 500 mL four-necked flask, 200 g of toluene, 27.71 g of 4-bromo-1,8-naphthalenedicarboxylic anhydride (S1), 18.21 g of cyclopropyl methylboronic acid ester, 0.22 g of palladium acetate, 0.52 g of triphenylphosphine, and 11.13 g of triethylamine were added. The mixture was stirred and heated to 75–80 °C, and the reaction was maintained at this temperature for 6 h. After stirring was stopped and the mixture cooled to room temperature, 100 mL of n-hexane was added, and the mixture was stirred for 0.5 h. The mixture was filtered, and the filter cake was washed once with 20 g of toluene. The organic phases were combined. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure, and the mixture was then dissolved in 100 g of dichloromethane (DCM). 3 g of activated carbon was added, and the mixture was stirred to decolorize. After removing the solvent, 22.90 g of intermediate T1-1 was obtained by column chromatography. In a 250 mL four-necked flask, add 100 g of water, 19.12 g of intermediate T1-1, 4.17 g of hydroxylamine hydrochloride, and 4.63 g of ammonium acetate. Start stirring and heat to 75–80 °C, and maintain the temperature for 3 hours. Stop stirring, cool slightly, and filter while hot. Rinse the filtrate with about 100 g of pure water, and dry to obtain 12.95 g of intermediate T1-2, which is a pale yellow solid. Under nitrogen protection, 200 g of dichloromethane, 12.00 g of intermediate T1-2, and 3.21 g of pyridine were added to a 250 mL four-necked flask. After stirring until homogeneous, the mixture was cooled to 0–5 °C, and 9.95 g of p-nitrobenzenesulfonyl chloride was slowly added dropwise while maintaining the temperature and stirring for 3 h. 50 g of pure water was added, and the mixture was stirred for 0.5 h. The mixture was then separated, and the organic phase was concentrated at 55 °C under normal pressure until no more distillate was observed. 50 g of n-hexane was added to induce crystallization, yielding 15.25 g of sulfonate photoacid generator 1, which was a pale yellow solid. Referring to the reaction steps similar to Example 1, Examples 2 to 28 respectively replaced the substrates and appropriately adjusted the reaction conditions to obtain other corresponding sulfonate photoacid-generating agents 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, and 28. The numbers and 1H NMR characterization results of the sulfonate photoacid generators prepared in all examples are listed in Table 1. Table 1 Performance Evaluation The performance of the sulfonate photoacid generators synthesized in Examples 1 to 28 and the sulfonate photoacid generator of Comparative Example 1 were evaluated. The evaluation indicators included molar absorptivity, solubility and chemical stability. (1) Molar absorptivity The compound was diluted to 0.25 mmol / L with acetonitrile, and the absorbance of a 1 cm cuvette was measured in the range of 200–600 nm using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer (UPG-752). The molar absorptivity ε at each wavelength was calculated using the following formula: ε(L·mol⁻¹) -1 ·cm -1 = A / (0.00025mol / L×1cm), where A represents the absorbance at each wavelength. (2) Solubility High solubility not only facilitates the purification of photoacid-producing compounds but also allows for a wider range of concentrations that can be used in photoresist and different solvent systems. 1.0000 g of the photoacid-producing compound product was taken and solvent was gradually added at 25°C until all the solid in each test tube was completely dissolved. The mass of the solvent used was recorded, and the solubility was calculated as (1 g / solvent mass) × 100%. The evaluation results are shown in Table 2. Table 2 The nonionic photoacid-generating agent in Comparative Example 1 was: Let it be denoted as A*1; The nonionic photoacid generator of Comparative Example 2 is It is denoted as A*2. The acid-producing agent in Comparative Example 3 is It is denoted as A*3. The acid-producing agent in Comparative Example 4 was It is denoted as A*4. As shown in Table 2, the photoacid generator of this application has a high molar absorptivity at 365 nm, strong light absorption capacity, can make full use of light energy, can ensure high utilization rate in resist applications, and exhibits good solubility. Examples of resist compositions Referring to the formulations shown in Examples 1-31 and Comparative Examples 1-6 of the resist compositions in Table 3, each raw material was uniformly dissolved in PGMEA (propylene glycol methyl ether acetate) to obtain a resist composition with a solid content of approximately 20% (mass percentage). The component types and contents of the sulfonate photoacid generator (A), resin component (B), and sensitizer (C) are shown in Table 3. Composition Example 1 Resin component (B) is a B1 type resin, composed of repeating units shown in formulas B11, B12 and B13. The value at the bottom right of each repeating unit indicates the content (mass percentage) of that repeating unit in the resin. The weight-average molecular weight of B1 resin is approximately 10,000. The sulfonate photoacid generator (A) is the sulfonate photoacid generator of Example 1. Composition Examples 2 to 24 The difference from the composition example 1 is that the sulfonate photoacid generator (A) is the sulfonate photoacid generator of Examples 2 to 24 respectively. The types and contents of the remaining components are shown in Table 3. Composition Example 25 The difference from Composition Example 18 is that the resin component (B) is a B2 type resin, composed of repeating units shown in Formulas B21, B22 and B23, with the lower right value of each repeating unit indicating the content (mass %) of that repeating unit in the resin. The weight-average molecular weight of the B2 resin is approximately 10,000. Composition Example 26 The difference from composition example 18 is that the resin component (B) is a B3 type resin, composed of repeating units shown in formulas B31 and B32, with the lower right value of each repeating unit indicating the content (mass %) of that repeating unit in the resin. The weight-average molecular weight of the B3 resin is approximately 10,000. Composition Examples 27-28 The difference from the composition in Example 18 is that the content of the sulfonate photoacid generator is different. Composition Example 29 The difference from composition example 18 is that no sensitizer was added. Composition Example 30 The difference from composition example 25 is that no sensitizer was added. Composition Example 31 The difference from composition example 26 is that no sensitizer was added. Comparative Example 1 The difference from the composition in Example 18 is that the sulfonate photoacid generator A*1 of Comparative Example 1 is used. Comparative Example 2 The difference from the composition example 25 is that the sulfonate photoacid generator A*1 of Comparative Example 1 is used. Comparative Example 3 The difference from the composition in Example 26 is that the sulfonate photoacid generator A*1 of Comparative Example 1 is used. Comparative Example 4 The difference from Comparative Example 1 is that no sensitizer was added. Comparative Example 5 The difference from Comparative Example 2 is that no sensitizer was added. Comparative Example 6 The difference from Comparative Example 3 is that no sensitizer was added. The photoresist compositions prepared in Examples 1-31 and Comparative Examples 1-6 were evaluated for photosensitivity and resolution using the following methods, and the results are recorded in Table 3. (1) Sensitivity evaluation On each silicon wafer, the resist compositions of the embodiments and comparative examples were coated to a thickness of 1 μm, sufficient to form a pattern, to form a coating. The formed coating was pre-baked at 90°C for 100 seconds. After pre-baking, the coating was exposed through a mask for forming a hole pattern with a diameter of 10 μm while gradually changing the exposure amount (exposure wavelength 365 nm), and then developed in a 2.0% tetramethylammonium hydroxide aqueous solution at 25°C for 30 seconds. The minimum exposure required to form a hole pattern with a diameter of 10 μm was determined by the above method. From the obtained minimum exposure value, the sensitivity was evaluated according to the following criteria: "○" indicates a sensitivity of -50 mJ / cm² or less, and "×" indicates a sensitivity of -300 mJ / cm² or more. (2) Resolution evaluation Using a mask for forming a hole pattern with a diameter of 5 μm, the coating was formed, exposed, and developed in the same manner as for the sensitivity evaluation, except that it was exposed at an exposure dose of 100 mJ / cm². The developed coating was observed, and the resolution was evaluated according to the following criteria: "○" indicates that a pattern with a diameter of 5 μm can be formed, and "×" indicates that a pattern with a diameter of 5 μm cannot be formed. Table 3 As can be seen from the results in Table 3, the resist compositions of this application, as shown in Examples 1-28, exhibit excellent photosensitivity and resolution, significantly superior to Comparative Examples 1-3. Examples 29-31 show that photosensitivity remains excellent even without a sensitizer, but Comparative Examples 4-6, which also do not contain a sensitizer, show only average photosensitivity. Comparative Examples 7-12 generally exhibit a yellowish tint, low initiator solubility, and poor resolution. From the above description, it can be seen that the embodiments of this application achieve the following technical effects: The sulfonate photoacid generator of general formula I in this application contains a sulfonate group, which is directly linked to an imine structure. This structure has photosensitive cleavage characteristics and can undergo NO bond cleavage under irradiation by active energy rays to produce different types of sulfonic acids. The aforementioned active energy rays are active energy rays in the near-ultraviolet and visible light regions with wavelengths between 300 and 450 nm. In particular, it has high sensitivity and strong absorption for active energy rays with a wavelength of 365 nm (i-line). When the photoresist composition including the sulfonate photoacid generator and the resin component is used in the photosensitive composition dissolved and exposed by the alkaline developer, due to the increased photosensitivity of the sulfonate photoacid generator, a pattern with excellent sensitivity and good contrast can be formed. Even when forming fine patterns, it can have sufficiently high resolution and sensitivity. Meanwhile, compared with traditional p-methoxyphenylacetonitrile sulfonate photoacid generators, the sulfonate photoacid generator of this application has a significantly improved solubility and a very significant improvement in ultraviolet absorption at 365nm. This can reduce the dependence of traditional photoresists on sensitizers when working under a 365nm light source. Acid production performance: The structures of the acid-producing agents and the pKa values ​​of the acids produced by each acid-producing agent are given below. As can be seen, the resist compositions of this application, such as those in Examples 1, 5, 9, and 13, have pKa values ​​similar to those of conventional pentafluorophenylsulfonate, but greater than those of p-toluenesulfonate. As can be seen from the above description, the embodiments of this application achieve the following technical effects: The sulfonate photoacid generator of this application, having general formula I, contains a sulfonate group directly linked to an imide structure. This structure exhibits photosensitive cleavage properties, allowing the NO bond to break under irradiation by active energy rays, resulting in different types of sulfonic acids. These active energy rays are in the near-ultraviolet and visible light regions with wavelengths between 300 and 450 nm, exhibiting particularly high sensitivity and strong absorption for active energy rays with a wavelength of 365 nm (i-line). When a photoresist composition comprising this sulfonate photoacid generator and a resin component is used in a photosensitive composition dissolved and exposed in an alkaline developer, the increased photosensitivity of the sulfonate photoacid generator allows for the formation of patterns with excellent sensitivity and good contrast. Even when forming fine patterns, sufficiently high resolution and sensitivity are maintained. Furthermore, the sulfonate photoacid generator of this application contains nitrophenyl, cyanophenyl, or alkoxyphenyl substituents, introducing electron-withdrawing groups into the structure. This weakens the NO bond energy, enhances sensitivity, and strengthens the acidity after molecule acidification. This helps reduce the amount of additives in the photoresist, reduces the diffusion of photoacid molecules, and improves the adhesion of the photolithographic pattern. Furthermore, the sulfonate-based photoacid generator of this application does not contain PFAS, is environmentally friendly and easily degradable, has a wide range of applications, and better meets the current environmental requirements of domestic and international industrial development. Example 1' This embodiment provides a sulfonate-based photoacid-generating agent, the preparation process of which is as follows: Under nitrogen protection, in a 500 mL four-necked flask, 200 g of toluene, 27.71 g of 4-bromo-1,8-naphthalenedicarboxylic anhydride (S1), 13.89 g of n-butanol, 41.46 g of potassium carbonate, and 0.67 g of anhydrous copper chloride were added. The mixture was stirred and heated to 75–80 °C, and the reaction was maintained at this temperature for 10 h. After stirring was stopped and the mixture cooled to room temperature, 100 mL of n-hexane was added, and the mixture was stirred for 0.5 h. The mixture was filtered, and the filter cake was washed with 20 g of n-hexane. The organic phases were combined. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure, and the mixture was dissolved in 100 g of dichloromethane. 3 g of activated carbon was added, and the mixture was stirred to decolorize. After removing the solvent, 22.55 g of intermediate T1-1 was obtained by column chromatography. In a 250 mL four-necked flask, add 100 g of water, 19.12 g of intermediate T1-1, 4.17 g of hydroxylamine hydrochloride, and 4.63 g of ammonium acetate. Start stirring and heat to 75–80 °C, and maintain the temperature for 3 hours. Stop stirring, cool slightly, and filter while hot. Rinse the filtrate with about 100 g of pure water, and dry to obtain 13.95 g of intermediate T1-2, which is a pale yellow solid. Under nitrogen protection, 200 g of dichloromethane, 13.95 g of intermediate T1-2, and 3.33 g of pyridine were added to a 250 mL four-necked flask. After stirring until homogeneous, the mixture was cooled to 0–5 °C, and 9.38 g of p-nitrobenzenesulfonyl chloride was slowly added dropwise while maintaining the temperature and stirring for 3 h. 50 g of pure water was added, and the mixture was stirred for 0.5 h. The mixture was then separated, and the organic phase was concentrated at 55 °C under normal pressure until no more distillate was obtained. 50 g of n-hexane was added to induce crystallization, yielding 15.25 g of a sulfonate photoacid-generating agent (compound 1'), which was a pale yellow solid. The structure of the product was characterized by 1H NMR, and the results are as follows: 1H NMR (500MHz, deuterated chloroform) δ 8.61 (dd, J = 7.6, 1.5Hz, 1H), 8.32 (dq, J = 8.0, 1.6Hz, 3H), 8.12 (d, J = 7.5Hz, 1H), 8.05–7.99 (m, 2H), 7.57 (t, J = 7.5Hz, 1H), 7.10 (d, J = 7.5Hz, 1H), 4.05 (t, J = 7.1Hz, 2H), 1.73 (p, J = 7.1Hz, 2H), 1.47 (dtd, J = 15.0, 7.9, 7.0Hz, 2H), 0.98 (t, J = 8.0Hz, 3H). Example 2' This embodiment provides a sulfonate-based photoacid-generating agent, the preparation process of which is as follows: Under nitrogen protection, in a 500 mL four-necked flask, 200 g of toluene, 27.71 g of 4-bromo-1,8-naphthalenedicarboxylic anhydride (S2), 13.89 g of tert-butanol, 41.46 g of potassium carbonate, and 0.67 g of anhydrous copper chloride were added. The mixture was stirred and heated to 85–100 °C, and the reaction was maintained at this temperature for 8.5 h. After stirring was stopped and the mixture cooled to room temperature, 100 mL of n-hexane was added, and the mixture was stirred for 0.5 h. The mixture was filtered, and the filter cake was washed with 20 g of n-hexane. The organic phases were combined. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure, and the mixture was then dissolved in 100 g of dichloromethane. 3 g of activated carbon was added, and the mixture was stirred to decolorize. After removing the solvent, 21 g of intermediate T2-1 was obtained by column chromatography. In a 250 mL four-necked flask, add 100 g of water, 19.12 g of intermediate T2-1, 4.17 g of hydroxylamine hydrochloride, and 4.63 g of ammonium acetate. Start stirring and heat to 75–80 °C, and maintain the temperature for 3 hours. Stop stirring, cool slightly, and filter while hot. Rinse the filtrate with about 100 g of pure water, and dry to obtain 13.95 g of intermediate T2-2, which is a pale yellow solid. Under nitrogen protection, 200 g of dichloromethane, 13.57 g of intermediate T2-2, and 3.45 g of pyridine were added to a 250 mL four-necked flask. After stirring until homogeneous, the mixture was cooled to 0–5 °C, and 8.93 g of p-3-cyanobenzenesulfonyl chloride was slowly added dropwise. The mixture was stirred for 3.5 h while maintaining the temperature. 50 g of pure water was added, and the mixture was stirred for 0.5 h. The mixture was then separated, and the organic phase was concentrated at 60 °C under normal pressure until no more distillate was observed. 50 g of n-hexane was added to induce crystallization, yielding 15.00 g of a sulfonate photoacid-generating agent (compound 2'), which was a pale yellow solid. pass 1 The structure of the product was characterized by 1H NMR, and the results are as follows: 1 H NMR (500MHz, deuterated chloroform) δ8.62(dd,J=7.6,1.5Hz,1H),8.33(dd,J=7.5,1.5Hz,1H),8.24(t,J=1.5Hz,1H),8.13(d,J=7.5Hz,1H),8.08(d t,J=7.5,1.5Hz,1H),7.80(dt,J=7.5,1.5Hz,1H),7.70(t,J=7.5Hz,1H),7.57(t,J=7.5Hz,1H),7.18(d,J=7.5Hz,1H),1.35(s,9H). Example 3' This embodiment provides a sulfonate-based photoacid-generating agent, the preparation process of which is as follows: Under nitrogen protection, in a 500 mL four-necked flask, 200 g of toluene, 26 g of 4-bromo-1,8-naphthalenedicarboxylic anhydride (S3), 14.9 g of 2-ethylhexanol, 42 g of potassium carbonate, and 0.65 g of anhydrous copper chloride were added. The mixture was stirred and heated to 85–100 °C, and the reaction was maintained at this temperature for 7.5 h. After stirring was stopped and the mixture cooled to room temperature, 100 mL of n-hexane was added, and the mixture was stirred for 1 h. The mixture was filtered, and the filter cake was washed with 20 g of n-hexane. The organic phases were combined. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure, and the mixture was then dissolved in 100 g of dichloromethane. 3 g of activated carbon was added, and the mixture was stirred to decolorize. After removing the solvent, 23.07 g of intermediate T3-1 was obtained by column chromatography. In a 250 mL four-necked flask, add 100 g of water, 20 g of intermediate T3-1, 4.32 g of hydroxylamine hydrochloride, and 4.5 g of ammonium acetate. Start stirring and heat to 75–80 °C, and maintain the temperature for 3 hours. Stop stirring, cool slightly, and filter while hot. Rinse the filtrate with about 100 g of pure water, and dry to obtain 14.45 g of intermediate T3-2, which is a pale yellow solid. Under nitrogen protection, in a 250 mL four-necked flask, add 200 g of dichloromethane, 13.95 g of intermediate T2-2, and 4.02 g of pyridine. After stirring until homogeneous, cool to 0–5 °C, and slowly add 8.32 g of p-4-acetylbenzenesulfonyl chloride dropwise, maintaining the temperature and stirring for 4 hours. Add 50 g of pure water. After stirring for 0.5 h, the liquid was separated and concentrated at 60 °C under normal pressure until no more distillation occurred. 50 g of n-hexane was added to crystallize, yielding 13.27 g of sulfonate photoacid-generating agent (compound 3'), which was a pale yellow solid. pass 1 The structure of the product was characterized by 1H NMR, and the results are as follows: 1 ¹H NMR (500MHz, deuterated chloroform) δ 8.61 (dd, J = 7.6, 1.5Hz, 1H), 8.33 (dd, J = 7.5, 1.5Hz, 1H), 8.13–8.06 (m, 3H), 7.97–7.91 (m, 2H), 7.52 (t, J = 7.5Hz, 1H), 7.09 (d, J = 7.5Hz, 1H), 4.12 (dd, J = 7.1, 1.0Hz, 2H), 2.57 (s, 3H), 1.85 (hept, J = 7.0Hz, 1H), 1.59–1.49 (m, 1H), 1.49–1.39 (m, 3H), 1.41–1.25 (m, 4H), 0.97–0.84 (m, 6H). Compound 4'-11' was prepared using a similar method to that described above and was characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy, as shown in Table 4. Table 4 Comparative compounds Comparative Example 1' Nonionic photoacid generator (A*1') Comparative Example 2' Nonionic photoacid generator (A*2') Comparative Example 3' Nonionic photoacid generator (A*3') Performance Evaluation The performance of the photoacid-producing compounds synthesized in the examples and the comparative compounds was evaluated, and the evaluation indicators included the molar absorptivity at 365 nm, solubility, and chemical stability. (1) Molar absorptivity The compound was diluted to 0.25 mmol / L with acetonitrile, and the absorbance of a 1 cm cuvette was measured in the range of 200-500 nm using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer (UPG-752). The molar absorptivity ε at each wavelength was calculated using the following formula. ε(L·mol -1 ·cm -1 )=A / (0.00025mol / L*1cm) In the formula, A represents the absorbance at each wavelength. (2) Solubility High solubility not only facilitates the purification of photoacid-producing compounds but also allows for a wider range of concentrations that can be used in photoresist and different solvent systems. Take 1.0000 g of the photoacid-producing compound product and gradually add solvent at 20°C until all the solid in each test tube is completely dissolved. Record the mass of the solvent used. Solubility is expressed by the following formula. (3) Chemical stability In formulations containing photoacid-generating agents, various additives are included to ensure storage stability and meet the conditions of subsequent processes. This requires the photoacid-generating agent not only to not affect the additives in the composition but also to remain stable within it without undergoing any chemical reaction. Triethylamine was used as the additive for evaluation. At an addition rate of 10% (w / w) of the photoacid-generating agent, it was dissolved together with the agent in PGMEA, sealed, and stored at room temperature for 168 hours. The storage stability of the photoacid-generating agent was then evaluated using HPLC. The results are graded as follows: -HPLC content ≥95.00%; ○-HPLC content 85.00-95.00%; X-HPLC content <85.00%. The evaluation results are shown in Table 5. Table 5 Solubility Table 6. Determination of Chemical Stability and Acid Production Rate Industrial availability The industrial applicability is illustrated below with reference to examples and comparative examples of the compositions. Examples of resist compositions Referring to the formulations shown in Examples 1' to 11' and Comparative Examples 1' to 3' of the resist compositions in Table 7, each raw material was uniformly dissolved in 100% PGMEA (propylene glycol methyl ether acetate) to obtain a resist composition with a solid content concentration of 20% (w / w). The component types and contents of the sulfonate photoacid generator (A), resin component (B), and aromatic carboxylic acid compound (C) are shown in Table 7. Composition Example 1' The resin component (B) is a B1 type resin, derived from formula B. 11 Formula B 12 Japanese Style B 13 The diagram shows the repeating units, with the value at the bottom right of each repeating unit indicating its content (mass %) in the resin. The weight-average molecular weight of B1 resin is approximately 10,000. The sulfonate photoacid generator (A) is the photoacid generator of Example 1'. The aromatic carboxylic acid compound (C) is a C1 type compound, obtained by reacting an aromatic diol (C′) with 2,3,3′,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic acid dianhydride in a molar ratio of 1:1. Composition Examples 2'-7' The difference from the composition in Example 1' is that the sulfonate photoacid generator (A) is the same as that in Examples 2', 4', 5', 9', 11' and 12'. The types and contents of the remaining components are shown in Table 7. Composition Example 8' The difference from Composition Example 1' is that the resin component (B) uses a resin of type B2, derived from formula B. 21 Formula B 22 Japanese Style B 23 The diagram shows the repeating units, with the value at the bottom right of each repeating unit indicating its content (mass %) in the resin. The weight-average molecular weight of B2 resin is approximately 10,000. The types and contents of the remaining components are shown in Table 7. Composition Example 9' The difference from Composition Example 1' is that the resin component (B) uses a B3 type resin, derived from formula B 31 Japanese Style B 32 The diagram shows the repeating units, with the value at the bottom right of each repeating unit indicating its content (mass%) in the resin. The weight-average molecular weight of B3 resin is approximately 10,000. The types and contents of the remaining components are shown in Table 7. Composition Examples 10'-11' The difference from the composition in Example 1' is that the content of the photoacid-producing agent is different. The types and contents of the remaining components are shown in Table 7. Comparative Example 1' of Composition The difference from the composition in Example 1 is that the comparative photoacid-generating agent A*1' is used. The component types and contents are shown in Table 7. Comparative Example 2' of Compositions The difference from the composition in Example 1 is that the comparative photoacid-generating agent A*2' is used. The component types and contents are shown in Table 7. Comparative Example 3' The difference from the composition in Example 1 is that the comparative photoacid-generating agent A*3' is used. The component types and contents are shown in Table 7. (1) Photosensitive evaluation method On each silicon wafer, the resist compositions of the embodiments and comparative examples were coated to a thickness of 3 μm, sufficient to form a pattern, to form a coating. The formed coating was pre-baked at 90°C for 100 seconds. After pre-baking, the coating was exposed through a mask for forming a hole pattern with a diameter of 10 μm while gradually changing the exposure amount, and then developed in a 2.0% tetramethylammonium hydroxide aqueous solution at 25°C for 30 seconds. The minimum exposure required to form a hole pattern with a diameter of 10 μm was determined by the above method. From the obtained minimum exposure value, the sensitivity was evaluated according to the following criterion: ○-50 mJ / cm 2 Below, X-300mJ / cm 2 above. (2) Resolution evaluation Using a mask to form a hole pattern with a diameter of 5 μm, in addition to 100 mJ / cm 2 Aside from the exposure amount, the coating was formed, exposed, and developed in the same manner as the sensitivity evaluation. The developed coating was observed, and the resolution was evaluated according to the following criteria: ○ - A pattern with a diameter of 5 μm can be formed; X - A pattern with a diameter of 5 μm cannot be formed. Table 7 As can be seen from the results in Tables 5-6, the PFAS-free sulfonate photoacid generators of Examples 1' to 11' of this application have higher solubility and acid production rate compared with the fluorinated photoacid generators with naphthalimide skeletons. As can be seen from the results in Table 7, the resist compositions of this application, as shown in Composition Examples 1' to 11', have very good photosensitivity and resolution, which are significantly better than those of Comparative Examples 1' to 3'. As can be seen from the above description, the embodiments of this application achieve the following technical effects: The sulfonate photoacid generator of this application, having the general formula I', contains a sulfonate group in its molecule. This sulfonate group is directly linked to an imide structure, which exhibits photosensitive cleavage properties. Under irradiation with active energy rays, it can undergo NO bond cleavage to produce different types of sulfonic acids. The aforementioned active energy rays are active energy rays in the near-ultraviolet and visible light regions with wavelengths between 300 and 450 nm. In particular, it exhibits high sensitivity and strong absorption for active energy rays with a wavelength of 365 nm (i-line). When a photoresist composition including this sulfonate photoacid generator and a resin component is used in a photosensitive composition dissolved and exposed in an alkaline developer, the increased photosensitivity of the sulfonate photoacid generator allows for the formation of patterns with excellent sensitivity and good contrast. Even when forming fine patterns, sufficiently high resolution and sensitivity can be achieved. Simultaneously, the substituents in the sulfonate photoacid generator of this application contain electron-withdrawing groups such as nitrophenyl, cyanophenyl, or alkoxyphenyl groups, thereby helping to reduce the amount of additives in the photoresist, reduce the diffusion of photoacid molecules, and improve the adhesion of the photolithographic pattern. Furthermore, the sulfonate photoacid generators of this application do not contain PFAS, are environmentally friendly and easily degradable, have a wide range of applications, and are more in line with the current environmental needs of social and industrial development at home and abroad. The applicant declares that this application illustrates the sulfonate ester photoacid generator, its preparation method, and its application through the above embodiments. However, this application is not limited to the above embodiments, meaning that this application does not necessarily rely on the above embodiments for implementation. Those skilled in the art should understand that any improvements to this application, equivalent substitutions of raw materials for the product, addition of auxiliary components, and selection of specific methods, etc., all fall within the protection and disclosure scope of this application.

Claims

1. A sulfonate-based photoacid-generating agent having the structure shown in general formula (I) or general formula (I'): in, In the general formula (I), R 1 ~R 5 Each is independently selected from hydrogen, other halogen atoms besides fluorine atoms, nitro, cyano, substituted or unsubstituted C2-C atoms. 25 olefinic group, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 Alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 alkoxy or substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 The alkylthio group; or the substituted or unsubstituted C2-C2 group. 25 olefinic group, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 Alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 At least one -CH2- group in the alkylthio group is substituted with -O-, -S-, -CO-, -O-CO-, or -COO-, or the substituted or unsubstituted C2-C3 group. 25 olefinic group, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 Alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C 25 At least one CH3 group in the alkylthio group is substituted with -SiMe3, -OH, or a cycloalkyl group; and R 1 ~R 5 At least one of them is selected from nitro, cyano or X is a single bond or a C1-C5 alkyl group; Y is a -CH2-, carbonyl, or ester group; m is an integer from 0 to 4; n is an integer from 0 to 2; Alternatively, in the general formula (I'), R1 ’ Selected from substituted or unsubstituted C6-C 18 aryl, substituted or unsubstituted C6-C 18 Alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted camphoryl or substituted or unsubstituted azide naphthone, wherein the substituent is selected from alkoxy, acyloxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylsulfonyl, alkylsulfinyl, alicyclic, heterocyclic, aryl, alkylaryl, cyano or nitro; R2 ’ Selected from C1-C 10 Straight-chain or branched alkyl groups, C3-C 12 cycloalkyl, C2-C 10 Straight-chain or branched alkenyl groups, C2-C 10 Straight-chain or branched alkynyl groups, C1-C 10 Straight-chain or branched alkoxy groups, C1-C 10 Straight-chain or branched alkylthio groups, C1-C 10 Straight-chain or branched hydroxyl-substituted alkyl groups or C6-C 10 aryl or aryloxy substituted C1-C 10 alkyl.

2. The sulfonate photoacid-generating agent according to claim 1, wherein, In the general formula (I), the substituents in the substituted or unsubstituted groups are selected from hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, tert-butyl, methoxy, butoxy, etc. Nitro or cyano; Optionally, R 1 ~R 5 Each is independently selected from hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, tert-butyl, methoxy, butoxy, Nitro or cyano, and R 1 ~R 5 At least one of them is selected from nitro, cyano or Optionally, Groups are selected from Optionally, X is selected from a single bond, -CH2-, -CH2CH2-, -CH2CH2CH2-, or -CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2-; In the general formula (I'), R1 ’ Selected from substituted or unsubstituted C6-C 18 aryl, substituted or unsubstituted C6-C 18 Alkyl group, wherein the substituent is selected from alkoxy, acyloxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylsulfonyl, alkylsulfinyl, alicyclic, heterocyclic, aryl, alkylaryl, cyano or nitro; R2' is selected from C1-C 10 Straight-chain or branched alkyl groups, C3-C 12 cycloalkyl, C2-C 10 Straight-chain or branched alkenyl groups, C2-C 10 Straight-chain or branched alkynyl groups, C1-C 10 Straight-chain or branched alkoxy groups, C1-C 10 Straight-chain or branched alkylthio groups, C1-C 10 Straight-chain or branched hydroxyl-substituted alkyl groups; Optionally, R1' is selected from Optionally, R2' is selected from methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, tert-butyl, ... The wavy line represents the connection site of the functional group.

3. The sulfonate photoacid-generating agent according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The sulfonate photoacid generators having the structures shown in general formula (I) and general formula (I') are selected from any one of the following compounds:

4. A method for preparing a sulfonate photoacid generator having the structure shown in general formula (I) according to any one of claims 1-3, comprising the following steps: Step S1, Compound 1 is reacted with a cycloalkylboronic ester compound. The reaction proceeds to produce compound 2; Step S2: Compound 2 is reacted with a hydroxylating agent to generate hydroxylamine compound 3; Step S3: Hydroxylamine compound 3 and compound 4 are subjected to esterification reaction to obtain sulfonate photoacid generator; The structural formulas of compounds 1, 2, 3, and 4 are as follows: Among them, R 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 R 5 m and n have the same definitions as in claim 1; X1 is selected from either -H or a halogen atom, X2 is selected from a halogen, and X3 is selected from a halogen.

5. The preparation method according to claim 4, wherein, In step S1, the molar ratio of compound 1 to the cycloalkylboronic ester compound is 1:1.20 to 1.30; Optionally, the reaction in step S1 is carried out at a temperature of 75-80°C for 6-8 hours. Optionally, the reaction in step S1 is carried out in a solvent selected from any one or a combination of at least two of toluene, tetrahydrofuran, or xylene. Optionally, the hydroxylation reaction in step S2 is carried out under alkaline or acidic conditions; Optionally, the hydroxylamine reagent in step S2 is hydroxylamine sulfate or hydroxylamine hydrochloride; Optionally, the temperature of the hydroxylation reaction in step S2 is 25–100°C, more preferably 75–100°C.

6. The preparation method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein, In step S3, hydroxylamine compound 3 and compound 4 undergo an esterification reaction under alkaline conditions in an inert solvent; Optionally, the alkaline conditions are the reaction being carried out in the presence of any one of the following alkaline substances: pyridine, N-methylpyrrolidone, ethylenediamine, piperidine, or triethylamine, or a combination of at least two of them. Optionally, the inert solvent is selected from any one or a combination of at least two of the following: dichloromethane, n-heptane, n-octane, tetrahydrofuran, ethyl acetate, propyl butyrate, propofol, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, 1,4-dioxane, acetonitrile, or N,N-dimethylformamide. Optionally, the temperature of the esterification reaction in step S3 is controlled between -10 and 60°C, and more preferably between 0 and 25°C; Optionally, the esterification reaction in step S3 takes 2-4 hours.

7. A method for preparing a sulfonate photoacid generator having the structure shown in general formula (I') according to any one of claims 1-3, comprising the following steps: (1) Compound 1 is reacted with compound HO-R2' to generate compound 2; (2) Compound 2 is subjected to a hydroxylation reaction with a hydroxylation reagent to generate hydroxylamine compound 3; (3) Hydroxylamine compound 3 is reacted with acylation reagent R1'SO2X 2 An esterification reaction is carried out to obtain the sulfonate photoacid generator; The reaction process is as follows: in, The definitions of R1' and R2' are as described above; X 1 X is selected from any of the halogen atoms. 2 It is a halogen atom.

8. The preparation method according to claim 7, wherein, The molar ratio of compound 1 to compound HO-R2' in step (1) is 1:1.05-2; Optionally, the reaction described in step (1) is carried out in the presence of an alkaline substance; Optionally, the alkaline substance is selected from potassium carbonate and / or sodium carbonate; Optionally, the reaction described in step (1) is carried out in the presence of a catalyst; Optionally, the catalyst is selected from any one of copper chloride, AlCl3, FeCl3, palladium acetate, Pd / C catalyst or NaH; Optionally, the reaction in step (1) is carried out in a solvent selected from any one or at least a combination of two of toluene, p-xylene, chlorobenzene, tetrahydrofuran, ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, ethanol, methanol, n-butanol, xylene, trimethylbenzene or tetramethylbenzene; Optionally, the temperature of the reaction in step (1) is 70-110°C and the reaction time is 2-10 h; Optionally, the hydroxylation reaction in step (2) is carried out under alkaline or acidic conditions; Optionally, the hydroxylamine reagent in step (2) is hydroxylamine sulfate or hydroxylamine hydrochloride; Optionally, the temperature of the hydroxylation reaction in step (2) is 25–100°C, and more preferably 75–100°C; Optionally, the hydroxylation reaction in step (2) takes 2-5 hours; Optionally, in step (3), hydroxylamine compound 3 reacts with acylation reagent R1'SO2X 2 Esterification occurs under alkaline conditions in an inert solvent; Optionally, the alkaline conditions are the reaction being carried out in the presence of any one of the following alkaline substances: pyridine, N-methylpyrrolidone, ethylenediamine, piperidine, or triethylamine, or a combination of at least two of them. Optionally, the inert solvent is selected from any one or a combination of at least two of the following: dichloromethane, n-heptane, n-octane, tetrahydrofuran, ethyl acetate, propyl butyrate, propofol, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, 1,4-dioxane, acetonitrile, or N,N-dimethylformamide. Optionally, the temperature of the esterification reaction in step (3) is -10 to 60°C, and more preferably 0 to 25°C; Optionally, the esterification reaction in step (3) takes 2 to 4.5 hours.

9. A photoresist composition comprising a resin component and an acid-generating agent, wherein the acid-generating agent is a sulfonate photoacid-generating agent having the structure shown in general formula (I) or general formula (I') as described in any one of claims 1-3.

10. The resist composition according to claim 9, wherein, Based on the total mass of the solid components of the resist composition as 100%, the mass percentage of the sulfonate photoacid generator is 0.01-10%; Optionally, the resist composition further includes a solvent; Optionally, the amount of solvent used is such that the solid mass percentage concentration of the resist composition is 5-30%; Optionally, the solvent is selected from any one or a combination of at least two of ester solvents, ketone solvents, ether solvents, polyols and their derivatives, aromatic organic solvents or nitrogen-containing polar solvents; further, it can be selected from any one or a combination of at least two of propylene glycol methyl ether acetate, cyclohexanone or γ-butyrolactone. Optionally, the resist composition is a positive resist composition or a negative resist composition; Optionally, the positive resist composition contains a resin component (B1) that increases the solubility in alkaline developer via the action of acid; Optionally, the resin component (B1) is obtained by vinyl polymerization of a vinyl monomer containing an alkali-soluble acidic group and a vinyl monomer containing a hydrophobic group as desired, wherein some or all of the hydrogen atoms of the alkali-soluble acidic group are replaced by an acid-dissociable group as a protecting group. Optionally, the vinyl monomer containing the hydrophobic group is selected from (meth)acrylates and aromatic olefin monomers; Optionally, the acid-dissociative group serving as the protecting group is selected from: substituted methyl, 1-substituted ethyl, 1-branched alkyl, silyl, germanyl, alkoxycarbonyl, acyl, and cyclic acid-dissociative groups; or selected from at least one of the following groups: in, R8, R9, R 10 Each independently represents a straight-chain or branched alkyl group of C1-C6, C1-C 10 Straight-chain or branched fluorinated alkyl groups, R8, R9 and R 10 They exist independently of each other, or any two of them are bonded together to form a ring; R 11 R 12 and R 13 Each represents C1-C independently. 20 hydrocarbon group, R 11 R 12 and R 13 They exist independently of each other, or any two of them are suitable for forming a ring by bonding with each other; R 14 It represents straight-chain or branched alkyl groups of C1-C6 and cycloalkyl groups of C3-C6, where n is 0 or 1; Optionally, the acid-dissociative group used as the protecting group is selected from tert-butyl, benzyl, 1-methoxyethyl, 1-ethoxyethyl, trimethylsilyl, tert-butoxycarbonyl, tert-butoxycarbonylmethyl, tetrahydropyranyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, tetrahydrothiaranyl and tetrahydrothiofuranyl. Optionally, the composition is a negative resist composition and further contains a resin-crosslinking agent component (B2) that undergoes crosslinking under the action of acid and is insoluble in organic developer; Optionally, the resin-crosslinking agent component (B2) comprises a resin (B2-1) containing phenolic hydroxyl groups and a crosslinking agent (B2-2); Optionally, the phenolic hydroxyl-containing resin (B2-1) is selected from one or a combination of at least two of the following: phenolic varnish resin, polyhydroxystyrene-hydroxystyrene copolymer, hydroxystyrene-styrene copolymer, hydroxystyrene-styrene-(meth)acrylic acid derivative copolymer, phenol-benzenedimethanol condensation resin, cresol-benzenedimethanol condensation resin, polyimide containing phenolic hydroxyl groups, polyamic acid containing phenolic hydroxyl groups, or phenol-dicyclopentadiene condensation resin. Further, it may be selected from one or a combination of at least two of the following: phenolic varnish resin, polyhydroxystyrene-hydroxystyrene copolymer, hydroxystyrene-styrene copolymer, hydroxystyrene-styrene-(meth)acrylic acid derivative copolymer, phenol-benzenedimethanol condensation resin, or cresol-benzenedimethanol condensation resin. Optionally, the crosslinking agent (B2-2) is selected from bisphenol A-based epoxy compounds, bisphenol F-based epoxy compounds, bisphenol S-based epoxy compounds, phenolic varnish resin-based epoxy compounds, soluble phenolic resin-based epoxy compounds, poly(hydroxystyrene)-based epoxy compounds, oxetane compounds, melamine compounds containing hydroxymethyl groups, benzoguanamine compounds containing hydroxymethyl groups, urea compounds containing hydroxymethyl groups, phenolic compounds containing hydroxymethyl groups, melamine compounds containing alkoxyalkyl groups, and benzoguanamine compounds containing alkoxyalkyl groups. The melamine compound containing alkoxyalkyl groups, the phenolic compound containing alkoxyalkyl groups, the melamine resin containing carboxymethyl groups, the benzoguanamine resin containing carboxymethyl groups, the melamine resin containing carboxymethyl groups, the phenolic resin containing carboxymethyl groups, the melamine compound containing carboxymethyl groups, the benzoguanamine compound containing carboxymethyl groups, the melamine compound containing carboxymethyl groups, and the phenolic compound containing carboxymethyl groups, or the melamine compound containing carboxymethyl groups; Optionally, the resist composition further includes an aromatic carboxylic acid compound (C); Optionally, the composition further comprises a crosslinking compound, said crosslinking compound containing at least one crosslinking group; Optionally, the crosslinking group is selected from at least one of epoxy groups and oxetyl groups.

11. A patterning method comprising film formation and patterning using the resist composition as described in claim 9 or 10.

12. The use of a sulfonate photoacid generator having a structure of general formula (I) or general formula (I') according to any one of claims 1-3, or the photoresist composition according to claim 9 or 10, in the preparation of protective films, interlayer insulating materials, or pattern transfer materials for electronic components.

13. The use of the resist composition according to claim 9 or 10 in the preparation of protective films, interlayer insulating materials, and pattern transfer materials for electronic components.

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