Lithography Patterning with a Gas Phase Resist

An apparatus, comprising:

• a mechanism for producing a patterned radiation beam;
• a substrate stage configured to hold a substrate;
• a first supply pipe for flowing an organic gas near a surface of the substrate;
• and
• a second supply pipe for flowing hydrogen gas near the surface of the substrate,
• wherein:
• the first supply pipe is configured to flow the organic gas while the patterned radiation beam scans the surface of the substrate and to shut off the flowing of the organic gas before the patterned radiation beam reaches an edge of the substrate;
• and
• the second supply pipe is configured to flow the hydrogen gas when the first supply pipe is shut off and to shut off the flowing of the hydrogen gas when the first supply pipe flows the organic gas.

A method, comprising:

• directing a patterned radiation towards a surface of a substrate;
• supplying an organic gas near the surface of the substrate, wherein elements of the organic gas polymerize upon the patterned radiation, thereby forming a resist pattern over the surface of the substrate;
• moving the substrate relative to the patterned radiation such that the resist pattern is formed across an area of the substrate;
• and
• stopping the supplying of the organic gas when the resist pattern is formed near an edge of the substrate.