Method for developing a photoresist

A lift-off method comprising:

• applying a photoresist as a layer onto a surface of a material structure;
• partially exposing the photoresist;
• developing the photoresist by applying a first developer to the photoresist over a first duration to remove non-cross-linked parts of the photoresist in non-cross-linked lateral areas of the photoresist down to at least a midpoint of a thickness of the photoresist and then applying a second developer to the photoresist over a second duration that is shorter than the first duration to remove remaining non-cross-linked parts of the photoresist in the non-cross-linked lateral areas of the photoresist and also laterally remove photoresist at a lateral circumference of the non-cross-linked lateral areas of the photoresist, wherein the first developer and the second developer differ in their compositions such that the second developer is stronger than the first developer, the application of the second developer being performed such that, after the application of the second developer, the surface of the material structure is exposed in the non-cross-linked lateral areas of the photoresist and edges of the photoresist circumscribing the non-cross-linked lateral areas form overhanging tear-off edges;
• applying a coating material on the surface of the material structure and the developed photoresist;
• and
• removing the developed photoresist so that the coating material only remains on the surface of the material structure.

A method for developing a photoresist over a substrate, the method comprising:

• partially exposing the photoresist to define non-cross-linked lateral areas and cross-linked lateral areas of the photoresist;
• applying a first developer to the photoresist to remove non-cross-linked lateral areas of the photoresist;
• and
• applying a second developer to the photoresist to remove remaining non-cross-linked parts of the photoresist in the non-cross-linked lateral areas of the photoresist and also laterally remove photoresist at a lateral circumference of the non-cross-linked lateral areas of the photoresist, wherein the first developer and the second developer differ in their compositions such that the second developer is stronger than the first developer,
• wherein the steps of partially exposing, applying the first developer, and applying the second developer are performed such that
• at all non-cross-linked lateral areas defined by the partially exposing the photoresist, the photoresist is removed down to at least a midpoint of a thickness of the photoresist by the first developer,
• after application of the second developer, the substrate is exposed in all non-cross-linked lateral areas of the photoresist, and edges of the photoresist circumscribing the non-cross-linked lateral areas form overhanging tear-off edges, and
• the application of the second developer does not expose the substrate at portions of the cross-linked lateral areas.