Heat actuated and projected lithography systems and methods

A method of patterning, comprising:

• dividing an image into a set of frame sections;
• determining a tip pattern for a respective portion of an image to be patterned by each tip of a tip array in each frame section of the set of frame sections;
• disposing the tip array in a patterning position in a first location of the substrate corresponding to a location of the substrate in which a first frame section in the set of frame sections is to be patterned;
• projecting a first pattern of radiation onto the tip array to selectively irradiate one or more tips of the tip array and pattern the substrate, wherein the first pattern of radiation corresponds to a tip pattern for the first frame section;
• disposing the tip array in a patterning position in a second location of the substrate corresponding to a location of the substrate in which a second frame section in the set of frame sections is to be patterned;
• projecting a second pattern of radiation onto the tip array to selectively irradiate tips of the tip array and pattern the substrate, wherein the second pattern of radiation corresponds to a tip pattern for the second frame section;
• and
• repeating the disposing and projecting for each frame section in the set of frame sections to pattern the image, wherein:
• the tip array comprises:
• an elastomeric tip substrate layer having a first side and an opposed second side;
• a plurality of tips disposed on the first side of the tip substrate layer;
• a plurality of heaters disposed on the second side of the tip substrate layer;
• and
• projecting the first and second irradiation patterns selectively exposes the heaters to selectively activate the exposed heaters to locally heat a heating zone of the tip substrate layer and lower one or more tips disposed in the heating zone into contact or closer contact with the substrate.

A system for patterning a substrate using projected radiation comprising:

• a micro tip array coupled to an actuator;
• a projector including a radiation source;
• a substrate stage;
• a control module communicatively linked to the actuator, the substrate stage, and the projector, the module including a processor for executing instructions stored on a memory, the instructions to:
• divide an image to be patterned into a set of frame sections;
• determine a tip pattern for a respective portion of an image to be patterned by each tip of the tip array in each frame section of the set of frame sections;
• and
• for each frame section in the set of frame sections,
• cause the actuator and/or the substrate stage to dispose the tip array in a patterning position in a first location of a substrate corresponding to a location of the substrate in which a first frame section in the set of frame sections is to be patterned;
• cause the projector to project a first pattern of radiation onto the tip array to selectively irradiate one or more tips of the tip array and pattern the substrate, wherein the first pattern of radiation corresponds to a tip pattern for the first frame section;
• cause the actuator and/or the substrate stage to dispose the tip array in a patterning position in a second location of the substrate corresponding to a location of the substrate in which a second frame section in the set of frame sections is to be patterned;
• and
• cause the projector to project a second pattern of radiation onto the tip array to selectively irradiate tips of the tip array and pattern the substrate, wherein the second pattern of radiation corresponds to a tip pattern for the second frame section, wherein the tip array comprises:
• an elastomeric tip substrate layer comprising a first surface and an oppositely disposed second surface, the tip substrate layer being formed from an elastomeric material;
• a plurality of tips fixed to the first surface, the tips each comprising a tip end disposed opposite the first surface, the tips having a radius of curvature of less than about 1 micron;
• and
• an array of heaters disposed on the second surface of the tip substrate layer and configured such that when the tip substrate layer is heated by a heater, a tip disposed in a location of a heated portion of tip substrate layer is moved relative to a tip disposed in a location of an unheated portion of the tip substrate layer.

A system for patterning a substrate using projected radiation, the system comprising:

• a tip array coupled to an actuator comprising a piezo driver;
• a projector including a radiation source;
• a substrate stage;
• a control module communicatively linked to a microscope and the projector, the module including a processor for executing instructions stored on a memory, the instructions to:
• (a) subdivide an image to be patterned into square frame sections, wherein each square frame section corresponds to a portion of the image to be patterned on a substrate by each tip of a tip array in a patterning location;
• (b) receive a set of data inputs, the set of data inputs comprising a spatial size of the image, a center location of the image, rotational offset of the image, a delay time, an exposure time, and a safety time;
• (c) generate an instruction data set based the set of data inputs, the instruction set for directing movement of the tip array to a patterning location by the actuator;
• (d) detect a threshold piezo voltage corresponding to the tip array being in a patterning position;
• (e) cause the projector to:
• project a first irradiation pattern onto the tip array after detecting the threshold voltage, wherein the first irradiation pattern corresponds to a first portion of the image and the first portion of the image corresponds to a first subset of the frames sections located in the first patterning location,
• maintain projection of the first irradiation pattern for an exposure time, and
• stop projection of the first pattern of radiation after the exposure time has lapsed;
• (f) cause the actuator and/or substrate stage to:
• maintain the tips in the patterning position for a hold time equal to the exposure time, the delay time, and the safety time to pattern the first portion of the image on the substrate,
• remove the tips from the patterning position after the hold time has lapsed, and
• move the tips to a second patterning location once the tips are removed from the patterning position, the spatial location of second patterning location being provided by the instruction data set;
• and
• (h) repeat steps (e) and (f) at the second patterning location to pattern the substrate in a second patterning location.