The maturity and acceptance of top surface imaging (TSI) technology have been hampered by several factors including inadequate resist sensitivity and line edge roughness. We have found that the use of a chemically amplified resist can improve the sensitivity in these systems by 1.5-2x without compromising the Line edge roughness. In addition, we have shown improved line edge roughness by increasing the molecular weight of the polymeric resin in the resist. Using these materials approaches, we have been able to show excellent resolution images with the TSI-process for both 193 nm and extreme ultraviolet (13.4 nm) patterning: