Traditional photolithography requires the fabrication or purchase of a photomask and then the use of a stepper or mask aligner to transfer the CAD pattern onto a resist-covered wafer or plate. This process remains the most established and cost-effective method for high-volume manufacturing of sub-micron-sized design features due to economies of scale. Heidelberg Instruments offers advanced systems like the VPG⁺ series and ULTRA, specifically designed for the photomask market—covering applications from mature semiconductor photomasks to electronics and FPD photomasks.

However, for many other applications, Maskless Lithography presents a powerful and sustainable alternative. This high-precision, highly flexible technology is ideal for R&D, rapid prototyping, and small-batch production with feature sizes greater than 1 µm. Maskless lithography eliminates the need for photomasks, reducing upfront costs, material waste, and chemical consumption—making it particularly advantageous for low- to mid-volume production where design flexibility and quick iteration cycles are critical.

In maskless lithography, the pattern is exposed directly onto the substrate surface using a spatial light modulator (SLM), which acts as a “dynamic photomask”. Simply upload and convert the design file, and the system handles the rest. No photomask ordering, no delays, no expensive mask iterations. As your design evolves, simply reload the file and perform new exposures in a fraction of the time required by traditional photomask-based processes.

Beyond speed and flexibility, maskless systems contribute to sustainability by minimizing material waste, energy consumption, and chemical usage, making them a responsible choice for modern microfabrication.

Discover our Maskless Aligners (MLA) and Direct Write Lithography (DWL) systems here.