Composite printing

Abstract

Systems and techniques for printing substrates. In one implementation, a method includes patterning a substrate with a substantially arbitrary arrangement of features by introducing irregularity into a repeating array of features.

1 . A method comprising: 
 patterning a substrate with a substantially arbitrary arrangement of features by introducing irregularity into a periodic array defined in the substrate using interference lithography.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein introducing irregularity comprises forming an arbitrary figure at a location to mask a portion of the periodic array.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein patterning the substrate further comprises etching the substrate through portions of the repeating array not covered by the arbitrary figure.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein introducing irregularity into the periodic array comprises introducing irregularity into a two-dimensional periodic array of contacts.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein patterning the substrate further comprises etching the substrate using the substantially arbitrary arrangement to direct the etching.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein patterning the substrate further comprises patterning the substrate with the substantially arbitrary arrangement having a pitch approaching one half the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation used in the interference lithography.  
   
   
       7 . A method comprising: 
 using interference lithography to expose a substrate with an interference pattern, the interference pattern imparting the substrate with repeating first features; and    introducing irregularity into the repetition of the interference pattern to impart a substantially arbitrary feature arrangement to the substrate.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein introducing irregularity comprises forming a substantially arbitrary figure to mask some portion of the interference pattern.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising patterning the substrate using the substantially arbitrary figure to define the substantially arbitrary feature arrangement.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein using interference lithography to expose the substrate comprises imparting, to the substrate, first features having a pitch approaching one half the wavelength of the interference lithography electromagnetic radiation.  
   
   
       11 . A method comprising: 
 patterning a substrate using interference lithography, the patterning providing first features with a first pitch approaching one half the wavelength of a patterning electromagnetic radiation; and    eliminating the impact of at least some of the first features on the substrate using a second lithographic technique providing second features with a second pitch, the second pitch being two or more times larger than the first pitch.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein patterning the substrate using interference lithography comprises exposing the substrate with a pair of interference patterns.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein exposing the substrate comprises exposing the substrate with a substantially identical pair of interference patterns.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein exposing the substrate comprises exposing the substrate with the pair of interference patterns simultaneously.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein eliminating the impact of at least some of the first features on the substrate comprises patterning using a binary mask.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein eliminating the impact of at least some of the first features on the substrate comprises printing an arbitrary figure to mask some of the first features.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein eliminating the impact of at least some of the first features on the substrate further comprises etching a portion of the substrate through the first features not covered by the arbitrary figure.  
   
   
       18 . A method comprising: 
 using interference lithography to define a periodic array of features;    masking some of the features in the periodic array; and    etching a substantially arbitrary arrangement of features in a substrate using unmasked features in the periodic array as a guide.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein using interference lithography to define the periodic array comprises using interference lithography to define a periodic array of contacts.  
   
   
       20 . An apparatus comprising: 
 an interference lithography exposure module to produce a first exposure resulting in an array of repeating contacts in a photosensitive media; and    a second patterning module to reduce regularity of the features in the array.    
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the interference exposure lithography module comprises: 
 a pyramidal beam splitter to split an electromagnetic radiation four ways; and    two sets of opposing pairs of mirrors disposed to create an interference pattern by reflecting the split electromagnetic radiation.