An 8192-channel Grating Light Valve for Ultra-Violet Direct Write lithography

Direct-write lithography holds the potential of revolutionizing micro-fabrication since it allows direct transmission of image data into the media, eliminating the time and cost of mask fabrication and maintenance. We have developed an 8192-channel direct-write spatial light modulator based on Grating Light Valve technology. This diffractive linear array operates at UV wavelengths from 350-450nm. It is a monolithically integrated device in which the GLV MEMS and CMOS drive circuitry are fabricated together on the same chip. The array operates with a refresh frequency of 250 kHz (4us), facilitating pixel transmission rates over 2 giga-pixels/s. Each channel driver supports 10-bit amplitude and 8-bit pulse edge timing control per column period. When combined with 355nm illumination and 10:1 reduction optics, 1.5um minimum features have been printed with a placement sub-grid resolution of 0.5um in both axes.