A silicon-containing antireflective coating formulation comprising: (i) an aqueous base insoluble organosilicon component having a multiplicity of hydrocarbon groups derivatized with hydroxy groups in the absence of Si—O—C and Si—O—H moieties; (ii) a vinylether component having a multiplicity of vinylether groups; and (iii) a casting solvent. Also disclosed is a method for converting the silicon-containing antireflective coating formulation into a crosslinked silicon-containing antireflective film comprising organosilicon units interconnected by acetal or ketal groups. The method entails (a) coating a substrate with the silicon-containing antireflective coating formulation and (b) heating the coated substrate to a temperature at which crosslinking between the organosilicon silicon component and vinylether component occurs. Further disclosed is a method for patterning an antireflective coating on a substrate using the crosslinked silicon-containing antireflective film in a lithographic patterning process wherein the crosslinked silicon-containing antireflective film is situated between the substrate and a photoresist.