Patent ID: 7468238

Claim:
A maskless photolithography system for creating molecular imprinted array devices comprising: a. a computer system for generating mask patterns and alignment instructions; b. a maskless patterned light generator, radiating a patterned light beam corresponding to a molecular probe location, operably connected to and controllable by said computer system; c. a reaction chamber for mounting a substrate, comprising an inner mount for affixing said substrate within said chamber, so that said substrate is exposed to said patterned light beam; d. at least one reagent reservoir, fluidically connected to said reaction chamber to selectively provide a photoreactive reagent to the exposed surface of said substrate mounted in said reaction chamber, whereby said patterned light beam impinging on said substrate activates said photoreactive reagent, resulting in creation of patterns on said substrate according to said mask pattern of said patterned light beam; and e. at least one wash reservoir, fluidically connected to said reaction chamber to selectively provide a wash solution to the exposed surface of said substrate mounted in said reaction chamber, wherein said maskless patterned light generator comprises: a. an array of positionable micromirrors, wherein said micromirrors reflect light according to said mask patterns provided by said computer system; b. an optical system for generating, collimating, and directing a light beam to said micromirror array; and c. an optical system for further collimating the light beam reflected from said micromirrors and directing said patterned light beam onto said substrate mounted in said reaction chamber and to create patterns on said substrate corresponding to said mask patterns, further comprising a computer controlled pattern modulation system for varying the angular position and duration of exposure of said micromirrors when exposing said substrate, said modulation system altering the positioning of said micromirrors in response to instructions provided by said computer, whereby pixelation and stiction are reduced, the pixilation being reduced by exposing in interpixel areas of substrate not exposed by an axis exposure of micromirrors.