This is a finished patterned photomask. Fused silica can offer low thermal expansion and useful UV transmission, but the material grade, operating wavelength and thickness determine the appropriate substrate.
Use it when the exposure wavelength or dimensional stability makes material choice significant, including repeated thermal cycles and layouts with long coordinate spans.
Fused silica describes the substrate, not a different exposure method. Its low thermal expansion and grade-dependent UV transmission can be useful, but they do not by themselves guarantee transferred feature size or overlay.
Substrate material and format, clear and opaque regions, pattern orientation, alignment marks, repeated fields and layer identification can be combined in one mask design.
The product is a patterned glass or fused-silica mask, or an identified set of masks for successive layers. Exposure equipment, photoresist-coated workpieces and the finished devices are separate from the mask itself. Inspection records and packaging form part of the order specification.
| Product configuration | Finished chrome pattern on synthetic fused silica |
|---|---|
| Substrate role | UV transmission and low-expansion behavior to the process |
| Writing reference | Minimum feature and CD values depend on the selected writing configuration |
| Optical coating target | Chrome density and reflectance at the operating wavelength |
| Acceptance focus | Material identity, geometry, pattern registration and defects |
Verify material identification, substrate geometry, critical pattern dimensions and clear/opaque defect criteria.
Patterned chromium masks on synthetic fused silica for UV pattern transfer and applications requiring low substrate thermal expansion.
Fused silica is often selected where ultraviolet transmission and low thermal expansion matter. A patterned chromium layer then defines the exposed regions. The glass grade, thickness and coating response still need to match the actual working wavelength and thermal conditions.
A stable substrate helps manage dimensional changes during use, but does not alone determine critical-dimension accuracy or layer overlay. Pattern manufacture, mask mounting and the exposure process each contribute to the reproduced result.
Manufacturing capability
Fused silica combines the direct-writing pattern with a low-expansion, UV-capable substrate. This route is considered when thermal movement, exposure wavelength or dimensional stability is part of the pattern budget.
Choose glass or synthetic fused silica around the exposure wavelength, thermal requirements and fixture. State chromium optical density, reflectance, film-side orientation and allowed defect classes. The clear and opaque regions must be unambiguous in the approved artwork.
Quality & Inspection PhotolithographyFinished masks on a low-expansion substrate.
Patterned chromium masks on fused silica for a compatible exposure process.
No. A blank is the unpatterned starting material. This product includes the transferred chromium pattern defined by your artwork.
Chrome-on-fused-silica photomasks use transparent and opaque features on fused silica for exposure and precision pattern transfer.
Choose the operating spectrum, substrate thickness, polarity and surface condition together with the exposure configuration.
Artwork, silica grade, wavelength, outline, thickness, film side and alignment datums.
The substrate determines transparent material, optical thickness, thermal behaviour and handling. Identical artwork can still require different material and mounting specifications.