Micro and Nano Engineering最新文献_第2页

Single-step resistless hardmask fabrication using selective surface oxidation 采用选择性表面氧化的单步无电阻硬掩膜制造

IF 3.1

Micro and Nano Engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-01 DOI: 10.1016/j.mne.2026.100353

S.N. Ghosh, D.D. Sarkar, S. Talukder

{"title":"Single-step resistless hardmask fabrication using selective surface oxidation","authors":"S.N. Ghosh, D.D. Sarkar, S. Talukder","doi":"10.1016/j.mne.2026.100353","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mne.2026.100353","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrolithography (ELG) is a unique case of local anodic oxidation (LAO) based lithography. ELG is performed by electrically stressing chromium (Cr) thin films, resulting in the formation of an oxide material which is a liquid material and spreads to over 100 μm within a few seconds. The rate of spread of the oxide domain is proportional to the oxidation current flowing through the circuit. The liquid chromium oxide creates an additional resistance affecting the magnitude of the oxidation current, which in turn affects the repeatability of the formed patterns if the process is not meticulously planned. In an aim to reduce such reliability concerns governing the ELG technique, we propose to alter the electrical nature of the sample underneath the Cr layer, against the conventionally used insulating layers. Despite incorporating non-insulating layers underneath the Cr layer, the results presented in this study indicate that the said oxidation process remains as aggressive as has been reported before and thereby possibly opens up a plethora of direct write applications of the ELG technique. We have proposed and successfully demonstrated one such application of ELG, where it can be used to pattern and electro-etch Cr films to act as hard masks for dry etching.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37111,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nano Engineering","volume":"30 ","pages":"Article 100353"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147395853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Toolbox for fabricating biocompatible microstructured templates by molding soft materials 工具箱制造生物相容性微结构模板模塑软材料

IF 3.1

Micro and Nano Engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-25 DOI: 10.1016/j.mne.2026.100351

Louise von Lacroix , Nikolas Ohl , Franziska Esmek , Rukan Nasri , Jeremy Teuber , Paul Stützle , Silvia Albertini , Nicole Fischer , Manja Czech-Sioli , Irene Fernandez-Cuesta

{"title":"Toolbox for fabricating biocompatible microstructured templates by molding soft materials","authors":"Louise von Lacroix , Nikolas Ohl , Franziska Esmek , Rukan Nasri , Jeremy Teuber , Paul Stützle , Silvia Albertini , Nicole Fischer , Manja Czech-Sioli , Irene Fernandez-Cuesta","doi":"10.1016/j.mne.2026.100351","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mne.2026.100351","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In vitro cell culturing is essential for evaluating therapeutics in preclinical drug development. However, standard 2D cultures are limited for mimicking in vivo conditions. Microstructured templates allow for better emulation of a complex in vivo environment for the cells. Even further, integrating microfluidic channels with the cell cultures allows for controlled, automated liquid media delivery that can be extended to high-throughput. However, creating micro-scale templates for cell seeding is challenging since standard microfabrication materials such as silicon, silicon dioxide, or silicon nitride are inherently non-biocompatible and unsuitable for direct cell culture; commonly used polymers like polycarbonate (PC) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) are limited by their low thermal stability, while polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), though widely used, requires surface modification to support cell adhesion and viability. We present a toolbox of fabrication methods to generate microstructured templates made of different soft, biocompatible materials fabricated by molding. The process begins with a master stamp fabrication, employing either rapid 3D printing for flexibility or photolithography, which requires a particle-free environment, for higher accuracy during fabrication. We then use the stamps to mold soft materials such as agarose, Matrigel, collagen, or polydimethylsiloxane. Finally, we perform flow and incubation tests with two cell lines to assess the performance of each material, revealing that coated polydimethylsiloxane shows the most promising results for incubation tests over several days.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37111,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nano Engineering","volume":"30 ","pages":"Article 100351"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147395851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Photoacid diffusion in chemically amplified photoresists and its detection methods: A review 化学放大光刻胶中的光酸扩散及其检测方法综述

IF 3.1

Micro and Nano Engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-20 DOI: 10.1016/j.mne.2025.100347

Zhengyu Hu , Kewei Cao , Tengfei Yan

{"title":"Photoacid diffusion in chemically amplified photoresists and its detection methods: A review","authors":"Zhengyu Hu , Kewei Cao , Tengfei Yan","doi":"10.1016/j.mne.2025.100347","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mne.2025.100347","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chemically amplified photoresists have been used in semiconductor lithography for more than four decades. These materials consist of an acid-sensitive polymer matrix and a small amount of photoacid generator, which decomposes upon exposure to radiation to produce strong acid, and other additives. During the subsequent post-exposure bake, the generated acid catalyzes the deprotection reaction of the polymer, resulting in a change in solubility that enables pattern formation. This patterning process is governed by a coupled reaction–diffusion mechanism, where the diffusion length of the acid catalyst directly affects the final feature dimensions. Photoacid diffusion affects the key performance parameters including sensitivity and resolution of chemically amplified photoresists. Accordingly, understanding and accurately characterizing the diffusion process is essential for analyzing and optimizing the performance of the photoresist. This review covers the acid diffusion mechanism in polymers and the application of various experimental techniques for probing photoacid diffusion in chemically amplified photoresists. It also discusses promising approaches for the control and detection of photoacid diffusion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37111,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nano Engineering","volume":"30 ","pages":"Article 100347"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Process development to realize all-semiconductor InGaP-GaAs based photonic-crystal surface emitting lasers 实现基于InGaP-GaAs的全半导体光子晶体表面发射激光器的工艺开发

IF 3.1

Micro and Nano Engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-11 DOI: 10.1016/j.mne.2026.100354

Sammeta Poojitha, Pietro Della Casa, Olaf Brox, Jörg Fricke, Ralph-Stephan Unger, Dirk Rentner, Ben King, Paul Crump, Markus Weyers, Andrea Knigge, Günther Tränkle

{"title":"Process development to realize all-semiconductor InGaP-GaAs based photonic-crystal surface emitting lasers","authors":"Sammeta Poojitha, Pietro Della Casa, Olaf Brox, Jörg Fricke, Ralph-Stephan Unger, Dirk Rentner, Ben King, Paul Crump, Markus Weyers, Andrea Knigge, Günther Tränkle","doi":"10.1016/j.mne.2026.100354","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mne.2026.100354","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Semiconductor lasers are the most efficient devices for light generation. The Photonic Crystal Surface Emitting Laser (PCSEL) is a type of semiconductor laser that uses a 2D photonic crystal (PC) structure acting as the lateral cavity. The 2D photonic crystals realized in this work consist of a 150 nm thick InGaP layer containing a triangular pattern with a PC-lattice period of 320 nm. The transfer of the triangular pattern into InGaP is done through e-beam lithography followed by dry etching. Hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) resist acts as mask during the etching process. A dry etch recipe is developed in this work to etch through the InGaP with minimum damage to the active region, which is at a distance of ∼50 nm under the InGaP layer. Finally, the InGaP pillars are overgrown by MOVPE, thereby forming buried 2D features. The complete layer structure shows intense electroluminescence at target wavelength. The results obtained after the overgrowth pave the way for the fabrication of PCSELs with all-semiconductor integrated PCs with high optical coupling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37111,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nano Engineering","volume":"30 ","pages":"Article 100354"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147395836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Exploring the diversity of antenna-based sensors: A comparative study of slot, dipole, electromagnetic band gap, and patch designs 探索天线传感器的多样性：缝隙、偶极子、电磁带隙和贴片设计的比较研究

IF 3.1

Micro and Nano Engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-02 DOI: 10.1016/j.mne.2025.100344

Hilary Scott Nkimbeng Cho, Jin W. Choi

{"title":"Exploring the diversity of antenna-based sensors: A comparative study of slot, dipole, electromagnetic band gap, and patch designs","authors":"Hilary Scott Nkimbeng Cho, Jin W. Choi","doi":"10.1016/j.mne.2025.100344","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mne.2025.100344","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper presents a comprehensive comparative review of four widely used antenna-based sensor designs: slot, dipole, electromagnetic band gap (EBG), and patch antennas, highlighting their roles in various sensor applications. These antennas offer advantages, such as compact size, high sensitivity, ease of fabrication, and design flexibility, which make them be attractive for applications in environmental monitoring, health diagnostics, and structural sensing. The study investigates the operating principles, material configurations, and sensing mechanisms of each antenna type with an emphasis on how variations in the surrounding dielectric environment alter the effective permittivity and subsequently induce measurable shifts in the antenna's resonant frequency. Comparative analyses are conducted based on dielectric materials, operating frequency ranges, sensing targets, and resonance frequency shift, which serves as the primary sensing parameter. The findings highlight the adaptability and application-specific advantages of antenna-based sensors, that offer scalable solutions in a broad range of applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37111,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nano Engineering","volume":"30 ","pages":"Article 100344"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Stress optimization in DC magnetron sputtered AlN layers for fully clamped bistable piezoelectric plate devices 全箝位双稳压电板器件的直流磁控溅射AlN层应力优化

IF 3.1

Micro and Nano Engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-19 DOI: 10.1016/j.mne.2025.100345

Shareena Muringakodan , Sina Zare Pakzad , Ulrich Schmid , Michael Schneider

{"title":"Stress optimization in DC magnetron sputtered AlN layers for fully clamped bistable piezoelectric plate devices","authors":"Shareena Muringakodan , Sina Zare Pakzad , Ulrich Schmid , Michael Schneider","doi":"10.1016/j.mne.2025.100345","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mne.2025.100345","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this paper, we demonstrate the fabrication and characterization of bistable piezoelectric plates with a precisely tuned residual stress to achieve buckling-induced bistability. The plate consist of a multilayered structure, with a piezoelectric aluminum nitride layer sandwiched between top and bottom electrode layers. The stress in the aluminum nitride thin film is tuned by adjusting the DC magnetron sputtering parameters, including sputtering pressure, gas flow rates, target-substrate distance, and substrate bias voltage to introduce the compressive stress needed to induce plate buckling. Experimental results demonstrate that reducing sputtering pressure while controlling nitrogen flow, with no argon admixture, and applying a substrate bias voltage above 10 V enables compressive stress in the aluminum nitride layer within the desired range of −800 to −600 MPa, resulting in bistable plates. The bistability of the fabricated plates is evaluated by analyzing their potential energy profiles under applied external perpendicular forces, using a bulge test setup, where uniform air pressure is applied to the plate surface. The plates exhibit a characteristic hysteresis loop in their load-deflection response, with transitions between buckled-down and buckled-up states at approximately 10 mbar and −30 mbar, respectively. The initial buckling amplitude of the fabricated plates, within the optimized stress range, is measured to be 5–7 <span><math><mi>μ</mi></math></span>m, with a total displacement of 10–12 <span><math><mi>μ</mi></math></span>m when switching between both states. Furthermore, in each stable state, the plates exhibit an additional displacement of approximately 5 <span><math><mi>μ</mi></math></span>m when subjected to a relative air pressure of <span><math><mo>∼</mo></math></span> 1 bar.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37111,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nano Engineering","volume":"30 ","pages":"Article 100345"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939257","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Low-thermal-budget fabrication of ZnO TFTs via urea-assisted combustion synthesis of high-k ZrO2 gate dielectrics 尿素辅助燃烧合成高k ZrO2栅极电介质制备ZnO tft的低热预算研究

IF 3.1

Micro and Nano Engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-11 DOI: 10.1016/j.mne.2025.100342

George Mitrousis, Michael Georgas, Loukas Michalas, Filippos Farmakis

{"title":"Low-thermal-budget fabrication of ZnO TFTs via urea-assisted combustion synthesis of high-k ZrO2 gate dielectrics","authors":"George Mitrousis, Michael Georgas, Loukas Michalas, Filippos Farmakis","doi":"10.1016/j.mne.2025.100342","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mne.2025.100342","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this work, we present a low-temperature and cost-effective fabrication of zinc oxide (ZnO) based thin film transistors (TFTs) having high-k zirconium oxide (ZrO<sub>2</sub>) thin films as gate dielectrics. By employing a sol-gel approach combined with urea-assisted solution combustion synthesis (SCS), we reduced the thermal annealing budget to 200 °C, enabling the deposition of uniform and transparent (>98 % optical transparency in the visible range) dielectric films suitable for temperature sensitive substrates. The resulting ZrO<sub>2</sub> layers exhibit a relative permittivity (<em>k</em>) of approximately 12.9 at 4 kHz and a leakage current density of 10<sup>−7</sup> A cm<sup>−2</sup> for electric field equal to 10<sup>5</sup> V cm<sup>−1</sup> supporting low-voltage TFT operation. TFTs with ZnO active channels and indium tin oxide (ITO) source and drain electrodes were fabricated and patterned using liquid crystal display (LCD) based photolithography without necessitating photomasks or specialized patterning equipment for additive printing. The devices showed well-defined transistor characteristics with field-effect mobilities reaching 0.42 cm<sup>2</sup> V<sup>−1</sup> s<sup>−1</sup>, threshold voltages around −0.33 V, subthreshold swing of 491 mV dec<sup>−1</sup> and on/off current ratios on the order of 10<sup>2</sup>. Overall, this approach offers a flexible, scalable and low-temperature route to fabricating high-k ZrO<sub>2</sub> gate dielectrics, while the addition of an affordable alternative to photolithography facilitates rapid prototyping of TFT devices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37111,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nano Engineering","volume":"30 ","pages":"Article 100342"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145798574","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Laser interference lithography for ordered growth of nanowires in quantum bit development 量子比特开发中纳米线有序生长的激光干涉光刻技术

IF 3.1

Micro and Nano Engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-08 DOI: 10.1016/j.mne.2025.100343

Javier Bravo , Lisandro Jofre , Paloma Tejedor

{"title":"Laser interference lithography for ordered growth of nanowires in quantum bit development","authors":"Javier Bravo , Lisandro Jofre , Paloma Tejedor","doi":"10.1016/j.mne.2025.100343","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mne.2025.100343","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hybrid InAs–Al nanowires are essential building blocks for topological qubits, owing to their ability to host Majorana zero modes. In this work, we present a scalable method for fabricating ordered arrays of Au nanodots on GaAs(111)B substrates using laser interference lithography (LIL) in combination with a multilayer hard-mask process. These nanodot arrays enable site-controlled growth of InAs and InAs–Al nanowires via molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) using the vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) mechanism. Surface cleaning treatments are found to strongly influence nanowire morphology and growth yield, with HCl-based cleaning providing enhanced selectivity for vertical (111)B-oriented nanowire growth. Structural characterization by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) confirms the formation of uniform wurtzite-phase InAs nanowires subsequently coated with conformal Al shells. Although further yield optimization is required, the results demonstrate that LIL enables large-area, deterministic nanowire positioning with the structural quality necessary for quantum device fabrication, representing a significant advance toward scalable topological quantum computing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37111,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nano Engineering","volume":"30 ","pages":"Article 100343"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145749399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Electrode shading lithography: A new method to avoid side dissolution of adhesion layer during electrodeposition of platinum black 电极遮光光刻：一种避免铂黑电沉积过程中附着层侧溶的新方法

IF 3.1

Micro and Nano Engineering Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-20 DOI: 10.1016/j.mne.2026.100355

Alexis Bernatets , Sakina Bensalem , Alexandre Da Silva , Jean-Charles Duclos-Vallée , Sophie Griveau , Bruno Le Pioufle

{"title":"Electrode shading lithography: A new method to avoid side dissolution of adhesion layer during electrodeposition of platinum black","authors":"Alexis Bernatets , Sakina Bensalem , Alexandre Da Silva , Jean-Charles Duclos-Vallée , Sophie Griveau , Bruno Le Pioufle","doi":"10.1016/j.mne.2026.100355","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mne.2026.100355","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrochemical biosensors often rely on the detection of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), produced upon enzymatic reaction, with platinum electrodes being a preferred choice due to their catalytic efficiency. A cost-effective alternative is the use of gold electrodes functionalised through the electrodeposition of platinum black (PtB). However, direct platinum black electrodeposition on thin film electrodes can lead to the delamination of the metallic substrate layer. We present a novel fabrication strategy — Electrode Shadowing Lithography (ESL) — that protects the edges of the electrodes without the need for additional photomasks. By exploiting the transparency of silica substrates, SU8 photoresist is selectively exposed from the back side of the transparent wafer, using the electrodes themselves as shadow masks. This protocol creates a protective SU8 layer that protects the metallic adhesion layer of the electrodes from being etched during PtB deposition, preventing the flagging of the electrodes. Physical and electrochemical characterisations confirm successful protection and functionalisation. ESL offers a novel, cost-effective, and alignment-free solution which opens the way for microfabrication of electrodes for H₂O₂-sensitive biosensors that is more robust and accessible to facilities with less equipment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37111,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nano Engineering","volume":"30 ","pages":"Article 100355"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147396049","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Resistless photomask fabrication using electrolithography 利用电光刻技术制造无电阻光掩膜

IF 3.1

Micro and Nano Engineering Pub Date : 2025-12-01 Epub Date: 2025-09-12 DOI: 10.1016/j.mne.2025.100320

S.N. Ghosh, S. Talukder

{"title":"Resistless photomask fabrication using electrolithography","authors":"S.N. Ghosh, S. Talukder","doi":"10.1016/j.mne.2025.100320","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mne.2025.100320","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photolithography is the most widely used lithography technique for commercial fabrication of micro-devices as well as for research and development purposes. However, to perform photolithography, we need a photomask containing the desired pattern. Conventional methods of photomask fabrication involve either photolithography using a direct laser writer or electron-beam lithography. Interestingly, the rise of sequential write scanning probe lithography (SPL) techniques has given rise to various novel methods of direct photomask writing. In this study, we focus on photomask fabrication using a SPL technique, known as ‘Electrolithography’ (ELG), with which multi-scale features can be easily patterned. This is a subtractive lithography technique that involves direct patterning on chromium (Cr) thin films. Being an electrical and direct-write process, ELG bypasses the need for high-power UV laser, electron gun, and polymer resist layers thereby making the process cost-effective and carbon-efficient. We propose a resistless, reliable and novel photomask fabrication process, using the ELG technique, based on a bimetallic architecture. Using the proposed method, we were able to obtain lines having a width of <2 μm, in the best case, and lines with a width < 10 μm repeatedly. We were also able to transfer the fabricated patterns reliably and repeatedly onto a material of choice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37111,"journal":{"name":"Micro and Nano Engineering","volume":"29 ","pages":"Article 100320"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145108312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0