Photonic activation of reactants for sub-micron feature formation using depleted beams

An apparatus for the formation of sub-micron features on a workpiece, comprising:

• a first stimulated emission depleted beam generator;
• a second stimulated emission depleted beam generator;
• a moveable substrate support;
• and
• optics defining a beam path between the moveable substrate support and the first and second stimulated emission depleted beam generators, wherein the optics include a blanking shutter.

A method of causing a reaction at a sub-micron region of a substrate, comprising;

• providing a first beam having a first excitation portion of a first energy level surrounded by a first depleted region;
• providing a second beam having a second excitation portion of a second energy level surrounded by a second depleted region;
• providing a third beam having a third excitation portion of the first energy level surrounded by a third depleted region;
• providing a fourth beam having a fourth excitation portion of the second energy level surrounded by a fourth depleted region;
• selectively partially overlapping the first excitation portion and the second excitation portion at a surface of the substrate to form a first reaction region having an area smaller than the projected area of either the first or the second excitation portion on the substrate;
• selectively partially overlapping the third excitation portion and the fourth excitation portion at the surface of the substrate to form a second reaction region;
• providing at least one reactant species at the first reaction region;
• and
• performing a reaction involving the reactant species in the first reaction region but not in substrate regions adjacent to the first reaction region.