Photolithography

Photolithography is a fundamental process in the microfabrication industry, primarily used in the manufacturing of semiconductors and various microsystems. It’s a technique that allows for the precise transfer of geometric patterns onto a substrate, usually a silicon wafer, which forms the basis of integrated circuits and various microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).

The process begins with the application of a light-sensitive chemical known as a photoresist onto the substrate. Once the photoresist is in place, it is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light through a photomask, which contains the desired pattern. The photomask blocks light in certain areas and allows it to pass through in others, thereby transferring the pattern onto the photoresist.

Depending on the type of photoresist used (positive or negative), the areas exposed to light will either become soluble and be washed away (in the case of positive photoresist) or become hardened and remain in place (in the case of negative photoresist) during the development phase.

After the development phase, the substrate is left with a patterned layer of photoresist that mirrors the pattern on the photomask. This patterned layer can then serve various purposes—it can act as a protective mask in subsequent etching processes, where material is chemically or physically removed from unmasked regions, or as a stencil in deposition processes, where new material is added to the exposed areas.

Photolithography is valued for its ability to produce extremely fine patterns, with features that can be just a few nanometers in width. This high resolution enables the dense packing of transistors and other components on a chip, significantly enhancing its performance and functionality.

The precision and scalability of photolithography have been central to the rapid advancement of the electronics industry, following Moore’s Law, which predicts the doubling of the number of transistors on a chip approximately every two years. As technology continues to evolve, so too do the techniques and equipment used in photolithography, with innovations aimed at achieving even smaller feature sizes and greater throughput, vital for meeting the ever-increasing demands of modern electronics.