Apparatus and method for defining a pattern on a substrate

Abstract

The invention provides an apparatus and a method for defining a pattern on a substrate using a shadow masking technique. Said apparatus comprises a flexible member having a movable portion and at least one aperture. The flexible member is positioned in operation above the substrate thereby acting as a shadow mask. The apparatus further comprises a support for the substrate, distance-controlling means for controlling the distance between said movable portion and said substrate, and an actuator for moving the flexible member and substrate relative to each other parallel to a surface of the substrate. The apparatus further comprises an emission source which emits materials, electrons or light and which aims through the shadow mask at the substrate where the pattern is defined. Such a pattern might be employed in micromechanic, microoptic or microelectronic devices, for example. The described apparatus may be implemented using the AFM principal.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.