Patent ID: 8054450

Claim:
A stepper system for far-field ultra-high resolution photolithography, comprising: an illumination system generating light of a predetermined wavelength λ; a photolithographic mask, said photolithographic mask including a mask photo-plate formed with a layer of an electrically conducting optically opaque material on a mask substrate, at least one pattern area being defined at a predetermined location of said layer, said at least one pattern area containing an array of apertures, each aperture having a predetermined size in the range below said predetermined wavelength λ, and being spaced each from another a predetermined spacing distance, wherein a plasmonic excitation is generated in said array of apertures to produce far-field radiation patterns; a wafer stage, a wafer covered with a photosensitive material being secured to said wafer stage, wherein said wafer is spaced from said photolithographic mask at an adjustable distance; a reduction lens positioned between said photolithographic mask and said wafer; and a controller unit operatively coupled to said illumination system, said reduction lens, said photolithographic mask, and said wafer to adjust a relative disposition between said photolithographic mask, said reduction lens and said wafer to image a plane of maximum plasmonic excitation generated at said photolithographic mask, thereby exposing said photosensitive material on said wafer to the far-field radiation patterns of a sufficient intensity to expose said photosensitive material; wherein said light is incident on said photosensitive material on the wafer through said photolithographic mask to transfer a pattern formed in said layer of said electrically-conductive material of said photolithographic mask to said photosensitive material to imprint at least one feature thereat corresponding to said at least one pattern area of said photolithographic mask, and wherein dimensions of said at least one feature imprinted on said photosensitive material are smaller than dimensions of a corresponding said at least one pattern area defined at said layer of said photolithographic mask.