A bottom antireflective layer (ARL) is essential for deep ultraviolet (UV) lithography. We have just developed a polysilane antireflective layer (PSARL) process. PSARL can act as an antireflective layer due to the Si-Si bond which has absorption in the deep UV region, and it can be etched with high selectivity to resist under etch conditions that use a chlorine plasma which is a suitable inorganic silicon etchant. Similar to the conventional organic ARL process, PSARL can be simply spin coated onto the substrate, and removed with an asher using an O-2/CF4 gas mixture. The partially cross-linked diphenylsilane copolymer was evaluated with a view to its application as an ARL material and the results obtained are presented in this article.