Device manufacture involving step-and-scan delineation

Method for device fabrication comprising at least one lithographic delineation step, comprising projection on an imaging material of charged particles containing imaging information comprising a continuous image, such particles being of velocity determined by an accelerating field, imaging information being imposed on such particles by passage through imaging regions of a mask,

• characterized in that included imaging regions correspond with mask segments, a plurality of which are required to define such continuous image on the imaging material, in that segmentation is the consequence of (1) struts of dimension and rigidity to assure mechanical reliability by supporting struts and of (2) lithographically-defined skirts adjacent such struts, so defining continuous skirts intermediate imaging regions and struts, imaging entailing deflection of imaging particles by interaction with direction-changing field of such timing and magnitude as to redirect particles to eliminate both struts and skirts in such image as constructed.