A positive resist composition is provided comprising two onium salts, a base polymer comprising acid labile group-containing recurring units, and an organic solvent. The positive resist composition forms a pattern having PED stability and improved properties including DOF, LWR, and controlled footing profile.

Embodiments of a photolithographic machine with two or more camera systems (i.e., projection lens systems) are described herein. The photolithographic machine may include two or more cameras independently operated and controlled for exposing integrated circuit, flat panel display, and other substrates used in manufacturing semiconductor electronics. The cameras may be independently controlled to move laterally in the x-axis (i.e., not fixed). The independent control can include movement, focusing, tilt, reticle position, among other things.

A method for producing flexographic printing plates, using as starting material a photopolymerizable flexographic printing element which at least comprises, arranged one atop another, a dimensionally stable support, and at least one photopolymerizable, relief-forming layer, at least comprising an elastomeric binding, an ethylenically unsaturated compound, and a photoinitiator, a digitally imagable layer, and the method comprises at least the following steps (a) producing a mask by imaging the digitally imagable layer, (b) exposing the photopolymerizable, relief-forming layer through the mask with actinic light, and photopolymerizing the image regions of the layer, and (c) developing the photopolymerized layer by washing out the unphotopolymerized regions of the relief-forming layer with an organic solvent, or by thermal development, characterized in that step (b) comprises two or more exposure cycles (b 1) to (b n) with actinic light with an intensity of 100 to 5000 mW/cm.sup.2 from a plurality of UV-LEDs, the energy input into the photopolymerizable, relief-forming layer per exposure cycle being 0.1 to 5 J/cm.sup.2.

The inventive subject matter provides an apparatus for reproducibly fabricating hydrogel-based organ and tumor models inside multi-well plates. For example, tumor models made using the inventive apparatus can be used for studying the progression of cancer, cancer diagnostics, and therapeutic screening. A mold controls the thickness of each hydrogel layer. A photomask controls the size and shape of each hydrogel layer, allowing the hydrogel diameter to be smaller than the diameter of each well so that liquid media can be exchanged around both the sides and top of the hydrogels. A holder aligns the photomask with the multi-well plate, and polymerization is initiated by a light source.

Embodiments disclosed herein include lithographic patterning systems for non-orthogonal patterning and devices formed with such patterning. In an embodiment, a lithographic patterning system comprises an actinic radiation source, where the actinic radiation source is configured to propagate light along an optical axis. In an embodiment, the lithographic patterning system further comprises a mask mount, where the mask mount is configurable to orient a surface of a mask at a first angle with respect to the optical axis. In an embodiment, the lithographic patterning system further comprises a lens module, and a substrate mount, where the substrate mount is configurable to orient a surface of a substrate at a second angle with respect to the optical axis.

A laser apparatus includes an oscillator, a rotary stage that supports an optical element, a grating, a first driving mechanism that changes the angle of incidence of pulse laser light to be incident on the grating by driving the rotary stage, a second driving mechanism that changes the angle of incidence of the pulse laser light to be incident on the grating by driving the rotary stage by a smaller amount, a wavelength monitor, and a processor that cyclically changes a target wavelength of the pulse laser light. The processor calculates the moving average of drive instruction values by which the second driving mechanism is driven, and when the moving average exceeds a threshold, the processor causes the second driving mechanism to return to an initial position, and drives the first driving mechanism to cancel a change in the angle of incidence caused by the returning operation.

To uniformize the light intensity distribution on an irradiated surface in a light source device including a light-emitting diode (LED) array, a light source device includes a light-emitting diode (LED) array including a circuit having a substrate, a plurality of LED chips on the substrate, and a power supply. A predetermined plane is illuminated with light from the LED array. The plurality of LED chips includes first LED chips and second LED chips different from the first LED chips placed in a same column of the circuit, and the first LED chips have a placement angle different from a placement angle of the second LED chips.

A method of forming patterned features on a substrate is provided. The method includes positioning a plurality of masks arranged in a mask layout over a substrate. The substrate is positioned in a first plane and the plurality of masks are positioned in a second plane, the plurality of masks in the mask layout have edges that each extend parallel to the first plane and parallel or perpendicular to an alignment feature on the substrate, the substrate includes a plurality of areas configured to be patterned by energy directed through the masks arranged in the mask layout. The method further includes directing energy towards the plurality of areas through the plurality of masks arranged in the mask layout over the substrate to form a plurality of patterned features in each of the plurality of areas.

The present invention relates to a microstructure 20 having pores 22 on its surface or inside. The microstructure is a sheet containing an energy ray active resin 21. The pores 22 are formed in a vertical array and are in a formation pattern with a Talbot distance being specified by Formula 1 below:

Z.sub.T=(2nd.sup.2)/λ  [Formula 1] where Z.sub.T represents a Talbot distance (nm), n represents a refractive index, d represents a pitch distance (nm), and λ represents a light wavelength (nm). The pores have a periodic shape in the planar direction. Thus, the present invention provides three-dimensional microfabricated structures through which the periodicity is controlled.

Embodiments disclosed herein include a lithographic patterning system and methods of using such a system to form a microelectronic device. In an embodiment, the lithographic patterning system includes an actinic radiation source, a stage where a major surface of the stage is for supporting a substrate with a resist layer, and a first prism over the stage, where the first prism comprises a first face that is substantially parallel to the major surface of the stage. In an embodiment, the lithographic patterning system further comprises a second prism, where the second prism comprises a first surface that is substantially parallel to a second surface of the first prism, and where a second surface of the second prism has a reflective coating.