Photolithography focus improvement by reduction of autofocus radiation transmission into substrate

A method for exposing a resist layer comprising:

• forming layered over a substrate a target layer, an anti-reflective layer located over the target layer and a resist layer also located over the target layer to form a layered substrate, the anti-reflective coating layer including a composition of matter that exhibits a first absorption peak corresponding with an exposure apparatus vertical alignment beam wavelength;
• vertically aligning the layered substrate within an exposure apparatus while using an exposure apparatus vertical alignment beam and horizontally aligning the layered substrate within the exposure apparatus while using an exposure apparatus horizontal alignment beam to yield an aligned layered substrate;
• and
• exposing the resist layer within the aligned layered substrate within the exposure apparatus while using an exposure beam.