A photoresist composition having: (A) a polymer selected from the group consisting of: (a) a fluorine-containing copolymer having a repeat unit derived from at least one ethylenically unsaturated compound characterized in that at least one ethylenically unsaturated compound is polycyclic; (b) a branched polymer containing protected acid groups, said polymer comprising one or more branch segment(s) chemically linked along a linear backbone segment; (c) fluoropolymers having at least one fluoroalcohol group having the structure: —C(Rf)(Rf′)OH, wherein Rf and Rf′ are the same or different fluoroalkyl groups of from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms or taken together are (CF2)n wherein n is 2 to 10; (d) amorphous vinyl homopolymers of perfluoro(2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxole) or CX2═CY2 where X═F or CF3 and Y═—H or amorphous vinyl copolymers of perfluoro(2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxole) and CX2═CY2; and (e) nitrile/fluoroalcohol-containing polymers prepared from substituted or unsubstituted vinyl ethers; (B) at least one photoactive component; and (C) a functional compound selected from the group consisting of a base and a surfactant. The polymer may have an absorption coefficient of less than about 5.0m?−1 at a wavelength of about 157 nm. These photoresist compositions have improved imaging properties.