Large area, cost effective X-ray masks for high energy photons

The cost effectiveness of the deep X-ray lithography and electrodeposition process, LIGA, depends directly on the throughput of the process. The use o f high energy photons allows the exposure of stacked photoresist and result s in high throughput. High energy X-ray exposures require a different mask than low energy X-ray exposures. The high energy mask allows a large area e xposure but requires a thicker X-ray absorber. The cost of generating high energy X-ray masks can be drastically reduced by using a thick optical phot oresist process rather than an X-ray exposure process. The cost can be furt her reduced by using alternatives to the typical X-ray absorber, gold. High atomic weight (high Z) materials are ideal absorbers. Lead has been demons trated as being a useable alternative as an X-ray absorber.