Thermosetting anti-reflective coatings compositions

An improved ARC composition comprising

• a. a dye-grafted hydroxyl-functional oligomer reaction product of
• a preselected phenolic- or carboxylic acid-functional dye and a poly(epoxide) resin, said resin having an epoxy functionality greater than 3.0 and less than 10, said reaction product having light-absorbing properties effective for bottom-layer ARC applications;
• b. an alkylated aminoplast crosslinking agent derived from melamine, urea, benzoguanamine or glycoluril;
• c. a protonic acid curing catalyst;
• d. an alcohol-containing solvent system boiling at 70.degree. to 180.degree. C. wherein the alcohol comprises at least twenty (20) weight percent of the total solvent content and the molar ratio of alcohol per equivalent methylol unit of the aminoplast is at least four to one (4:1);
• e. having ether or ester linkages derived from the poly(epoxide) molecules;
• and
• f. the composition having about 50% to 90% dye-grafted hydroxyl-functional oligomer, about 10% to 50% aminoplast crosslinking agent, and about 0.1% to 10% protonic acid catalyst by weight of solids content;
• whereby the improved ARC negates resist/ARC component intermixing, by virtue of the ARCs thermosetting action, provides improved optical density at a broad range of exposure wavelengths and at 500-2500 .ANG. layer thicknesses, and negates the need for high molecular weight thermoplastic ARC binders.