photolithography

[ foh-toh-li-thog-ruh-fee ]

noun

1. the technique or art of making photolithographs.
2. Electronics. a process whereby integrated and printed circuits are produced by photographing the circuit pattern on a photosensitive substrate and chemically etching away the background.

photolithography

/ ˌfəʊtəʊlɪˈθɒɡrəfɪ; ˌfəʊtəʊˌlɪθəˈɡræfɪk /

noun

1. a lithographic printing process using photographically made plates Often shortened tophotolithoˌfəʊtəʊˈlaɪθəʊ
2. electronics a process used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, thin-film circuits, optical devices, and printed circuits in which a particular pattern is transferred from a photograph onto a substrate, producing a pattern that acts as a mask during an etching or diffusion process See also planar process

Derived Forms

• photolithographic, adjective
• ˌphotoliˈthographer, noun
• ˌphotoˌlithoˈgraphically, adverb

Other Words From

• pho·to·lith·o·graph·ic [foh-t, uh, -lith-, uh, -, graf, -ik], adjective
• photo·li·thogra·pher noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of photolithography¹

First recorded in 1855–60; photo- + lithography

Example Sentences

The Cambridge-developed biocompatible devices -- just a few millionths of a metre thick -- are made using advanced photolithography and thin film deposition techniques, and require minimal power to function.

From Science Daily

In this research, the team opted for deep-UV photolithography, a process using shorter wavelengths of ultraviolet light.

From Science Daily

The most effective coating turned out to be a polymer hydrogel, the surface of which is covered in tiny ridges thanks to microtextured moulds, which the researchers fabricated using photolithography.

From Science Daily

The latest conflict is over photolithography, which uses ultraviolet light to etch circuits into silicon on a scale measured in nanometers, or billionths of a meter.

From Seattle Times

DigiLens has a different technique for creating waveguides, which is to apply a substrate on top of glass or plastic, then shape it using a process that’s a little bit like photolithography.

From The Verge