Maskless Lithography

In maskless lithography, the radiation that is used to expose a photosensitive emulsion (or photoresist) is not projected from, or transmitted through, a photomask. Instead, most commonly, the radiation is focused to a narrow beam. The beam is then used to directly write the image into the photoresist, one or more pixels at a time. An alternative method, developed by Micronic Laser Systems or Heidelberg Instruments, is to scan a programmable reflective photomask, which is then imaged onto the photoresist. This has the advantage of higher throughput and flexibility. Both methods are used to define patterns on photomasks.

A key advantage of maskless lithography is the ability to change lithography patterns from one run to the next, without incurring the cost of generating a new photomask. This may prove useful for double patterning.

Read more about Maskless Lithography:  Forms of Maskless Lithography, Future of Maskless Lithography