Patent ID: 8841046

Claim:
A method for printing at least one of a first periodic and a first quasi-periodic pattern by using an interference lithography technique, comprising: a) providing a photon source; b) providing a mask having at least one of a second periodic and second quasi-periodic patterns for printing at least one of said first patterns; c) illuminating said mask with a beam of photons from the photon source, the photons having a central wavelength, and generating a transmitted intensity distribution that oscillates with a period in a direction away from the mask; d) providing a sample having a surface with a recording medium disposed thereon; e) providing a sample holder for holding the sample; f) positioning the sample at a second distance from the mask and in the oscillating transmitted intensity distribution, wherein the second distance is in a continuous range; and g) varying the second distance in a continuous or discrete way over a total distance of at least one oscillation period of the intensity distribution during exposure of the recording medium to the intensity distribution, whereby the recording layer integrates the intensity distribution illuminating the recording layer as the second distance varies and printing a desired average intensity distribution into the recording medium on the sample surface that corresponds to at least one of said first patterns.