Photolithography

A process used in the manufacturing of integrated circuits. It involves using light to transfer a pattern onto a substrate. It plays a crucial role in the publishing world and is similar to developing film in the sense that they both use light processes when transferring. It is also referred to as Semiconductor Lithography, Semiconductor Manufacturing Processes, Optical Lithography, or UV Lithography.

History

It can be traced back to 1796 when lithography was created by Alois Senefelder as a low-cost method of publishing theatrical works. In 1959, it was developed into the modern-day process by Mohamed M. Atalla.

In Context

"The original purpose of type was simply copying. The job of the typographer was to imitate the scribal hand in a form that permitted exact and fast replication. Dozens, then hundreds, then thousands of copies were printed in less time than a scribe would need to finish one. This excuse for setting texts in type has disappeared. In the age of photolithography, digital scanning and offset printing, it is as easy to print directly from handwritten copy as from text that is typographically composed" (Bringhurst 18).

"Photolithography is the standard way of providing etch masks for pattern delineation. Many issues related to photolithography are independent of whether a wet or dry etch process is to be used" (Baca and Ashby 118).