Photolithography

Overview
Standards
Resources
Comments

Overview

Description:

This activity is designed for high school students. In this experiment students use UV light to transfer a pattern (either a network of very small metal wires or self-drawn patterns) onto a surface-- a plastic board. The pattern is transferred by placing a mask (transparency sheet with the pattern) on a plastic board. The board is coated with a copper film that is covered with a light-reactive polymer (photo-resist). The polymer is exposed to UV light through the mask to make a pattern in the polymer. The metal under the exposed polymer is then chemically etched, leaving only the pattern on the surface of the board as determined by the mask. This top-down approach to nanotechnology is commonly used in manufacturing circuit boards for computers and other electronics.

Objectives

Big Idea:

Demonstrate the top-down approach to fabrication of nanometer sized electronic components commonly used in manufacturing circuit boards for computers and other electronics and teach the basic chemistry and physics necessary for photolithography.

Learning goals:

Understand what lithography is and become familiar with different types of lithography.

NISE Net Content Map:

Nanometer-sized things are very small, and often behave differently than larger things do.

Nanoscience, nanotechnology, and nanoengineering lead to new knowledge and innovations that weren't possible before.

Universal design:

Provide physical and sensory access to all aspects of the program. Visitors can touch, see and hear different elements of the program.

Credits

Developed for the NISE Network with funding from the National Science Foundation under Award Numbers 0532536 and 0940143. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

Owning institution:

Lawrence Hall of Science

Checklist

Scientist reviewed? check_reviewed

Peer reviewed? check_reviewed

Visitor evaluation? check_reviewed

Nano Topics

Materials, tools, and applications

Audience

15 and up

Permissions

Creative Commons
Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike

Standards

Physical science:

9-12: Interactions of energy and matter

9-12: Chemical reactions

9-12: Motions and forces

9-12: Structure and properties of matter

9-12: Structure of atoms

Science and Technology:

9-12: Abilities of technological design

Science as inquiry:

9-12: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry

Resources

Download all files (ZIP)

Files:

photolithography.pdf