An improved resist material and a technique for patterning a workpiece such as an integrated circuit workpiece that offers improved resistance to environmental contaminants is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes receiving a workpiece and applying to the workpiece a resist material containing a protectant disbursed throughout. A thermal process is performed on the workpiece that causes the protectant to become concentrated in an upper region of the resist material. The resist material is exposed in a lithographic process and the exposed resist material is developed to define a pattern within the resist material. In some such examples, the protectant is selected to reduce an effect of an environmental contaminant without affecting an acid/base ratio of the resist material. In some such embodiments, the protectant includes a hydrophobic functional group.