Photoresist-free photolithography, photoprocessing tools, and methods with VUV or deep-UV lamps

Abstract

A fabrication tool has at least one flat lamp photon source, or an array of flat lamps, that serve to non-thermally ablate polymer material from a surface. No photoresist is required and the desired photoablated pattern is determined by inserting a photolithographic mask between the lamp(s) and the surface to be processed. Methods of the invention pattern organic polymer and can pattern a substrate using a pattern established in an organic polymer layer on the substrate, and can also deposit materials in the pattern by breaking bonds in deposition precursors with photons from the microplasma array. Another method converts organic polymer material to have a hydrophylic surface. A tool of the invention can have width and depth comparable to a typical paperback book and a height comparable to a coffee cup.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.