The next generation of maskless lithography

The essential goal for fast prototyping of microstructures is to reduce the cycle time. Conventional methods up to now consist of creating designs with a CAD software, then fabricating or purchasing a Photomask and finally using a mask aligner to transfer the pattern to the photoresist. The new Maskless Aligner (MLA) enables to expose the pattern directly without fabricating a mask, which results in a significantly shorter prototyping cycle. To achieve this short prototyping cycle, the MLA has been improved in many aspects compared to other direct write lithography solutions: exposure speed, user interface, ease of operation and flexibility.