Lens array photolithography

A method of photolithographic exposure whereby a light field is passed through an array of optical elements to form at least one image,

• said photolithographic exposure is the step in photolithographic processes that chemically alters a photosensitive material on a circuit substrate by exposure to light usually in a predetermined pattern defined by a photomask;
• said passing of a light field is:
• generating at a light source a geometrically regular light field, and propagating in a direction toward and through a photomask thereby creating a binary light field of high and low intensity areas which represent the spatial pattern of the photomask and is carried by the light field, the light field propagating further through a lens array;
• said forming of an image comprised of the pattern of the photomask with areas of relative high intensity and areas of relative low intensity light, the high intensity areas being operable for changing the chemical composition of a light sensitive material and the low intensity areas operable for not appreciably changing the chemical composition of the light sensitive material thereby impressing the two dimensional pattern of the light field into the light sensitive material.

An apparatus for printing patterns of microstructure to form a flat panel display device comprised of:

• a photomask;
• a lens array;
• and a receiver substrate,
• said photomask being comprised of an optical substrate having planar surfaces operable for receiving an opaque material thereon, the photomask being operable for spatially modulating a uniform light field being passed therethrough;
• said lens array being a single plane matrix arrangement of lenses having axial symmetry;
• said receiver substrate being a rigid substrate having a layer of light sensitive material operable for converting a light pattern into microstructure.