Liquid deposition photolithography

US9034568B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Regents of the University of Colorado, a Body Corporate · US

Inventors

• Robert R. McLeod · Boulder, US
• Adam Urness · Louisville, US
• Michael Christopher Cole · Wilmington, US
• Eric Moore · Longmont, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 22, 2013
• Grant date: May 19, 2015
• Expiry date: May 3, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03F7/70341
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Systems and methods for liquid deposition photolithography are described. In particular, some embodiments relate to systems and methods for using photolithography to control the 2D structure of a thin layer of material (e.g., photopolymer) using various masks, projection optics and materials. In one or more embodiments, this thin layer can be manipulated by micro-fluidic techniques such that it can be formed, patterned and post-processed in a liquid environment, vastly simplifying the creation of multi-layer structures. Multiple layers are rapidly built up to create thick structures of possibly multiple materials that are currently challenging to fabricate by existing methods.