TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: At least one densifying element is also physically incorporated into the polymer. The polymer further comprises at least one residue of a first alkoxy silane precursor material. The first alkoxy silane precursor material comprises tetraethoxy silane. The polymer further comprises a residue of a second alkoxy silane precursor material different from the first alkoxy silane precursor material. The second alkoxy silane precursor material is selected from trialkoxy silanes, dialkoxy silanes, monoalkoxy silanes, and its combinations. Densifying element is a residue of a densifier in the anti-reflective coating solution. It is selected from a phosphorus-based compound, a boron-based compound, an antimony-based compound, a bismuth-based compound, a lead-based compound, an arsenic-based compound, and its combinations. The densifier comprises phosphoric acid. It is a nitrogen-containing phosphorus-based compound. The polymer comprises particles, the anti-reflective coating solution further comprising a binding agent. The binding agent comprises at least one silane material. At least one silane material is selected from an alkoxy silane material, a chloro silane material, and an acetoxy silane material. The principal densifying element of the densifier is at least one of chemically incorporated and physically incorporated into the polymer matrix. The densifier is selected from a phosphorus-based compound, a boron-based compound, an antimony-based compound, a bismuth-based compound, a lead-based compound, an arsenic-based compound, and its combinations. Principal densifying element of the densifier comprises at least one element selected from phosphorus, boron, antimony, bismuth, lead, arsenic, and its combinations. Preferred Composition: The solution comprises between about 1 ppm and 100000 ppm of the densifier; or the solution comprises between about 1 ppm and 10000 ppm of the densifier. Preferred Process: Adding step occurs after the reacting step and the reducing step. The method further involves a heating step after the adding step, the heating step incorporating the principal densifying element of the densifier into the polymer matrix. Adding step occurs before the reacting step, the reacting step incorporating the principal densifying element of the densifier into the polymer matrix. The method further involves adding a binding agent to the polymerized solution after the reducing step. Preferred Parameters: The anti-reflective coating has a reflective index of about 1.15 to 1.35. The anti-reflective coating loses less than 1% absolute average transmittance after a stress test. The stress test comprises submerging the optically transparent element in a boiling salt water solution for a predetermined time. The predetermined time ranges from 3 minutes to 10 minutes. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.