A process for creating a mask for making a printing plate from an unexposed flexographic plate having a masking layer. The process includes providing image information as a first screen having a first plurality of pixels and defining openings in the masking layer in accordance with the image information by superimposing on at least a portion of the image information a base pattern of equally sized spots. Each spot corresponds to an imaged discrete element represented on the mask and has a size corresponding to a smallest discrete element formed on the mask. The spots in the base pattern are aligned in horizontal rows and columns having a non-zero spacing between adjacent rows and columns. In at least a portion of the mask, a size for forming each imaged discrete element is selected such that each set of four neighboring imaged discrete elements has a non-imaged discrete area centered therebetween.

The present invention provides a composite which can be produced by photostructuring a photostructurable matrix material in a composite formulation to form a structured matrix with nanoparticles, where the refractive index of the composite with nanoparticles differs from the refractive index of the composite without nanoparticles at one wavelength, selected from the range from 150 nm to 2000 nm by less than 0.5, said composite being hierarchically structured and comprising at least one structural unit (I) of a selected thickness (i) and structural units (II) branching from said structural unit (I) of a selected thickness (ii), wherein the thickness (ii) at the branch-off points is at most half the thickness (i). In addition, the present invention provides an improved process for the preparation of a composite comprising photostructured matrix material and nanoparticles contained therein and the use of the composite.

In a method for the lithography-based generative manufacturing of a three-dimensional component, in which at least one beam emitted by an electromagnetic radiation source is successively focused by means of an irradiation device onto focal points within a material, as a result of which in each case a volume element of the material located at the focal point is solidified by means of multiphoton absorption, the focal point is displaced in a z-direction, the z-direction corresponding to a direction of irradiation of the at least one beam into the material, the displacement of the focal point in the z-direction being effected by means of at least one acousto-optical deflector arranged in the beam path, in which a sound wave is generated, the frequency of which is periodically modulated.

A microchannel sensor for detecting radiation and/or particles, the microchannel sensor comprising at least one sensor substrate, wherein said sensor substrate comprises a plurality of channels extending from a first side of the substrate to an opposite side of the substrate, wherein said channels are arranged along a channel axis which is tilted relative a normal axis of said substrate, and wherein said plurality of channels comprise a first set of channels with a first cross section and a second set of channels with a second cross section being different from said first cross section.

There is a method for forming a three dimensional or porous graphene electrode pattern on a substrate, the method including providing a substrate; coating the substrate with a lignin-polymer composite film; exposing a first part of the coated lignin-polymer composite film to a laser beam for transforming the first part into the graphene pattern; and removing a second part of the coated lignin-polymer composite film, which was not exposed to the laser beam, by placing the second part in water. The lignin-polymer composite film includes (1) a water-soluble alkaline lignin, (2) a polymer having bonding properties, and (3) a solvent, and an amount of the water-soluble alkaline lignin in the lignin-polymer composite film is between 5 and 60% by weight.

Provided is a substrate processing apparatus including a substrate floating unit for floating a substrate, a nozzle unit positioned above the substrate floating unit to eject a liquid chemical onto the substrate, a measurement unit for measuring a floating amount of the substrate, and a controller for obtaining a serial number of the substrate and providing control to change, based on the serial number, reference signal data used by the measurement unit to measure the floating amount of the substrate.

The present disclosure features photon upconversion systems, including a sensitizer and an emitter, wherein the sensitizer absorbs an energy from an incident radiation, and the emitter accepts the energy from the sensitizer via triplet-triplet energy transfer, and emits at a lower wavelength than the incident radiation via a triplet-triplet annihilation process. The present disclosure also features devices including the photon upconversion systems.

Provided is a substrate deforming device for proximity exposure, the device comprising: a mask holder for holding an exposure mask; a first plate which is spaced apart from the exposure mask in a certain direction, and holds a to-be-exposed substrate; a position adjustment part for adjusting the position of the exposure mask; a gap adjustment part for adjusting a gap between the exposure mask and the to-be-exposed substrate; a first sensor for measuring the position of at least one among the exposure mask and the to-be-exposed substrate; a second sensor for measuring the gap between the exposure mask and the to-be-exposed substrate; and a control unit which performs a first control according to the measurement result from the first sensor, and after the first control, performs a second control according to the measurement result from the second sensor. The first control reduces the relative distance between the exposure mask and the to-be-exposed substrate by means of the position adjustment part. The second control deforms the to-be-exposed substrate by means of the gap adjustment part in response to deflection of the exposure mask.

A lithographic exposure system and method for exposing and structuring a substrate coated with a solder resist is provided. The lithographic exposure system having at least one light beam, formed preferably by two or more laser beams of different UV wavelengths, which is deflected relative to the substrate by a variable deflection device, in order to generate structures on the substrate. In particular, the light beam is superimposed, spatially in the image plane and temporally in the exposure, by a spatially limited, high-energy, preferably externally mounted heat source, wherein preferably infrared laser diodes having linear optics are used.

This disclosure provides a scalable and reproducible process to create complex 3D metal materials with sub-micron features by applying lithographic methods to transparent metal- or inorganic-rich polymer resins.