Abstract: This invention provides methods for manufacturing anti-reflective barrier and/or polish-stop layers on semiconductors. The anti-reflective barrier and/or polish-stop layers permit more accurate photolithography during the manufacture of semiconductor devices. The barrier and/or polish-stop layers can comprise nitride and/or oxynitride films having non-stoichiometric ratios of silicon to nitrogen atoms within the film structure. The non-stoichiometry permits the films to be semi-transparent, decreasing transmission of electromagnetic radiation through the layers, thereby decreasing the reflection of the electromagnetic radiation back through the photoresist layers. By decreasing the reflection of the electromagnetic radiation through the photoresist materials, the effects of diffraction by mask edges and standing wave interference can be reduced, thereby permitting the more accurate, reproducible inscription of patterns onto semiconductor devices.