Photolithography

Uncommon card · No. 82201

Photolithography (also known as optical lithography) is a process that uses light to transfer a pattern onto a photoresist layer deposited on a sample, typically a silicon wafer. It is used in the manufacturing of integrated circuits. The process begins with a photosensitive material, called a photoresist, being applied to the substrate. A photomask that contains the desired pattern is then placed over the photoresist. Light is shone through the photomask, exposing the photoresist in certain areas. The exposed areas undergo a chemical change, making them either soluble or insoluble in a developer solution. After development, the pattern is transferred onto the sample through etching, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, plating, or ion implantation processes. Photolithography processes can be classified according to the type of light used, including ultraviolet lithography, deep ultraviolet lithography, extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL), and X-ray lithography. The...

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