Apparatus for fabrication of miniature structures

A method for fabrication of miniature structures, comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate,
• providing a source of energy capable of generating an energetic beam,
• positioning a material carrier element in a gap formed between said substrate and said source of energy, said material carrier element having a deposition layer on a surface thereof facing said substrate and containing a depositable material to be deposited onto said substrate,
• operatively coupling a control means to said material carrier element and to said source of energy, and
• synchronously controlling said material carrier element and said source of energy in accordance with a miniature structures to be fabricated in either a material removal mode of operation or a material transfer mode of operation, displacing said material carrier element to said first position thereof external to an intercepting path with said energetic beam, and thereby allowing a direct access of said energetic beam to said substrate, and thereby causing disintegration in a patterned manner and to a predetermined depth thereof of the material on the surface of said substrate, and
• further displacing said material carrier element to said second position for interception with said energetic beam path, thereby causing modification of said deposition layer at a predetermined location and transferring the material contained in said deposition layer onto said substrate to be deposited at a predetermined area thereof when in said material transfer mode of operation.