Direct-Write Polymer Nanolithography in Ultra-High Vacuum

The deposition of materials in vacuum is the foundational technology for creating modern electronic circuits; a vacuum being essential both to preserve the cleanliness of the substrate and the deposited materials, and to minimize the creation of defects. Consequently, most deposition techniques, from thermal evaporation to atomic layer deposition, require a high level of vacuum, preferably ultra-high vacuum (UHV), to be used effectively.