A lithographic method for making an out-of-plane optical coupler includes forming a photoresist layer of positive photoresist material over a substrate. The positive photoresist layer undergoes a flood exposure to light through a binary mask to pattern a latent image of a mirror blank in the photoresist layer. A laser beam is scanned over the latent image of the mirror blank to apply controlled dosages of light at specified locations to form a latent image of a planar mirror surface that is oriented at a prescribed non-zero angle to a plane in which the substrate extends. The positive photoresist material is developed so that a remaining portion of the developed positive photoresist material forms an out-of-plane optical coupler having a planar mirror surface that is oriented at the prescribed angle.

In an example of a method for making a flow cell, a light sensitive material is deposited over a resin layer including depressions separated by interstitial regions, wherein the depressions overlie a first resin portion having a first thickness and the interstitial regions overlie a second resin portion having a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness. A predetermined ultraviolet light dosage that is based on the first and second thicknesses is directed through the resin layer, whereby the light sensitive material overlying the depressions is exposed to ultraviolet light and the second resin portion absorbs the ultraviolet light, thereby defining an altered light sensitive material at a first predetermined region over the resin layer. The altered light sensitive material is utilized to generate a functionalized layer at the first predetermined region or at a second predetermined region over the resin layer.

An extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) method includes providing at least two phase-shifting mask areas having a same pattern. A resist layer is formed over a substrate. An optimum exposure dose of the resist layer is determined, and a latent image is formed on a same area of the resist layer by a multiple exposure process. The multiple exposure process includes a plurality of exposure processes and each of the plurality of exposure processes uses a different phase-shifting mask area from the at least two phase-shifting mask areas having a same pattern.

A negative tone photoresist and method for developing the negative tone photoresist is disclosed. For example, the negative tone photoresist includes a solvent, a dissolution inhibitor, and a polymer. The polymer includes a hydroxyl group. The polymer may be greater than 40 weight percent of a total weight of the negative tone photoresist.

The invention relates to a process for the production of relief printing plates, where a carrier with a polymeric substrate layer is provided and a relief is formed layer-by-layer on a surface of the substrate layer, where the relief is formed by means of a) single or multiple application of a liquid comprising at least one reactive monomer to the surface of the substrate layer, b) diffusion of the reactive monomer into the polymeric substrate layer for a prescribed exposure time and c) hardening of the relief,
where in step a) the liquid is applied in accordance with an image to the surface and where, after the prescribed exposure time of step b), any liquid that remains on the surface, having not diffused into the material, is removed from the surface, and in step c) the relief that is hardened comprises the polymer of the substrate layer and reactive monomer that has diffused into the material.

A grating coupler may be fabricated by exposing a photopolymer layer to grating forming light for forming periodic refractive index variations in the photopolymer layer. The photopolymer layer may be exposed to apodization light for reducing an amplitude of the periodic refractive index variations in a spatially-selective manner. The apodization may also be achieved or facilitated by subjecting outer surface(s) of the photopolymer layer to a chemically reactive agent that causes the refractive index contrast to be reduced near the surface(s) of application. The apodized refractive index profile of the gratings facilitates the reduction of optical crosstalk between different gratings of the grating coupler.

A lithography method to pattern a first semiconductor wafer is disclosed. An optical mask is positioned over the first semiconductor wafer. A first region of the first semiconductor wafer is patterned by directing light from a light source through transparent regions of the optical mask. A second region of the first semiconductor wafer is patterned by directing energy from an energy source to the second region, wherein the patterning of the second region comprises direct-beam writing.

Systems and methods for making a flexo plate, and plates, machines, readers, and computer readable media for use therewith. In the system, a plurality of processing machines, each configured to perform one or more process steps in a workflow, includes a controller, a variable operating parameter controlled by the controller, and a reader configured to read machine-readable indicia on the flexo plate. The machine-readable indicia (e.g. bar code, RFID tag, text) is configured for persistent readability downstream of washing (and cutting) steps, without printing in the printing step. The indicia may embody information including at least a plate identifier and instructions corresponding to the at least one variable operating parameter for each of the processing machines or information corresponding to an address in computer storage where the information resides.

A curable photosensitive resin composition which can be cured at a relatively low temperature, has excellent developability and adhesion to a support, and a cured product that realizes low dielectric constant properties. A curable photosensitive resin composition containing a polyimide resin (A) which is a reaction product of monomer groups containing an aromatic tetracarboxylic anhydride (a1) and a diamine (a2) containing a dimer diamine, maleimides (B), and a polyfunctional polymerizable compound (C) having two or more ethylenic double bonds other than the component (A) and the component (B), a cured product, a photosensitive element, a resist pattern, a method of producing a resist pattern, a semiconductor device and an electronic device.

A coloring composition is a coloring composition including a black colorant, a polymerizable compound, and a photopolymerization initiator, in which the photopolymerization initiator includes a photopolymerization initiator a in which a light absorption coefficient at 365 nm in methanol is more than 1.0×10.sup.2 mL/gcm and a photopolymerization initiator b in which a light absorption coefficient at 365 nm in methanol is 1.0×10.sup.2 mL/gcm or less and a light absorption coefficient at 254 nm is 1.0×10.sup.3 mL/gcm or more, a content of the photopolymerization initiator b is 45.0 to 200.0 parts by mass with respect to 100.0 parts by mass of a content of the photopolymerization initiator a, and a ratio of a maximum absorbance to a minimum absorbance of a coloring cured film obtained by curing the coloring composition at a wavelength of 400 to 700 nm is 1.0 to 2.5.