Abstract
Lithography spearheaded the semiconductor industry to nanometer-level feature sizes. The MEMS industry, having started later and being less developed in economy of scale, can take advantage of the experience of semiconductor patterning to make MEMS patterning cheaper and faster. Even though most MEMS devices are still in the micrometer regime, there are still many semiconductor lithography techniques to benefit from. Four types of lithography are used for MEMS fabrication: proximity printing, nanoimprint, projection printing, and maskless direct write. Projection printing stands out as the best candidate for MEMS high volume manufacturing. The MEMS technology places more emphasis on DOF than resolution. It often requires fabrication of obliquely oriented devices. It also needs to test many innovative ideas before committing to mass production. Several semiconductor methods and some MEMS-specific methods to extend the depth of focus are covered. Multiple-e-beam direct-write systems are discussed with a focus on the suitability to high volume manufacturing in cost and lithographic performance for MEMS. © 2012 SPIE.