Thermosetting anti-reflective coatings at deep ultraviolet

An improved thermosetting deep ultraviolet anti-reflective composition comprising:

• a. the reaction product of a high molecular weight acrylic polymer or copolymer and a deep ultraviolet light-absorbing carboxylic acid or phenolic dye, said reaction product having the polymer or copolymer linked to the carboxylic acid or phenolic dye via a hydroxyester moiety in the case of carboxylic acid dyes or a hydroxyether moiety in the case phenolic dyes, which moiety forms in situ during the reaction;
• b. an alkylated aminoplast crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting of melamine, urea, benzyo-guanamine, glycoluril and derivatives thereof;
• c. a protonic acid catalyst for curing;
• and
• d. a low-to-medium boiling point, i.e., 70.degree. C. to 180.degree. C., alcohol-containing solvent system comprising at least 20% alcohol,
• whereby said composition has improved plasma etch rate while retaining fast curing speed, high optical density, good solubility in and coatability from safe, volatile solvents having high differential solubility as between photoresist, and having improved conformality and feature coverage.