Maskless Microscopic Lithography through Shaping Ultraviolet Laser with Digital Micro-mirror Device

Xiang-Yu Ding, Yu-Xuan Ren, Rong-De Lu

2Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, CAS, Shanghai, China 3National Center for Protein Sciences (Shanghai), Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, CAS, Shanghai, China.
Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.

DOI: 10.4236/opj.2013.32B053                

Abstract

Laser shaping was introduced to maskless projection soft lithography by using digital micro-mirror device (DMD). The predesigned intensity pattern was imprinted onto the DMD and the input laser beam with a Gaussian or quasi-Gaussian distribution will carry the pattern on DMD to etch the resin. It provides a method of precise control of laser beam shapes and photon-induced curing behavior of resin. This technology provides an accurate micro-fabrication of microstructures used for micro-systems. As a virtual mask generator and a binary-amplitude spatial light modulator, DMD is equivalent to the masks in the conventional exposure system. As the virtual masks and shaped laser beam can be achieved flexibly, it is a good method of precision soft lithography for 2D/3D microstructures.

Keywords

Digital Micro-mirror Device (DMD); Laser Shaping; Maskless Projection; Soft Lithography

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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