Extending standard mask lithography exposure technique to spherical surfaces

Similar to planar lithography, the use of a mask to produce multiple copies of a binary master sample is also possible in the case of spherical surfaces. Evidently, the spherical mask needs to have the opposite radius of curvature of the desired substrate, and additional problems arising from the curved geometry have to be taken into consideration. Inhomogeneities of the illumination impinging on the resist-coated surface negatively influence the exposure result. Ways of overcoming these difficulties to obtain satisfactory results for the implementation of the exposure in a conventional mask aligner are shown. Despite a lowered contrast due to back reflections and a varying distance between mask and substrate, exposure results of sufficient quality are achieved with the help of an adapted aperture and the use of water as an immersion fluid.