A
coating process comprises forming a patterned material layer on a substrate using a self-segregating polymeric composition comprising a polymeric photoresistive material and an antireflective
coating material. The polymeric photoresistive material and the antireflective
coating material that make up the self segregating composition are contained in a single solution. When depositing this solution on a substrate and removing the
solvent, the two materials self-segregate into two
layers. The substrate can comprise one of a
ceramic,
dielectric,
metal, or
semiconductor material and in some instances a material such as a BARC material that is not from the self segregating composition. The composition may also contain a
radiation-sensitive acid generator and a base quencher. This produces a coated substrate having a uniaxial
bilayer coating oriented in a direction orthogonal to the substrate with a top photoresistive coating layer and a bottom antireflective coating layer. The process may also include optionally coating a top coat material on the coated substrate. Pattern-wise exposing the coated substrate to imaging
radiation and contacting the coated substrate with a developer, produces the patterned material layer wherein the optional top coat material and a portion of the
photoresist layer are simultaneously removed from the coated substrate, thereby forming a patterned
photoresist layer on the substrate. Alternatively, the optional top coat material, a portion of the
photoresist layer and a portion of the bottom antireflective
layers are simultaneously removed from the coated substrate by the developer, thereby forming a patterned photoresist layer on the substrate.