At Nanosystems JP Inc., we offer six exposure methods from 20nm e-beam to 500×600mm large-format glass panels, the widest photolithography range of any Japan-based pure-play foundry. Positive and negative resists, organic insulators (SU-8/PI/PBO/BCB), polymer film processing, and X-ray LIGA for 3D metallic microstructures. All .
At Nanosystems JP Inc., we offer a range of exposure methods under one project. Choose the method matched to your resolution, substrate size, and cost, or combine methods across different layers of the same device.
Electron beam direct-write with 20nm minimum feature size. No photomask required, patterns written directly from GDS data. Ideal for nanophotonic gratings, metasurface lenses, custom MEMS research, and any application where mask cost for a small run is prohibitive. Available up to 8-inch wafers. Turnaround from GDS to patterned wafer without mask fabrication delay.
248nm KrF excimer laser stepper for 50nm minimum features on circular wafers up to 12 inches. The highest-throughput option for production-scale MEMS, photonic waveguides, and mixed-signal devices with sub-micron features. Step-and-repeat exposure achieves 60nm alignment accuracy across the full wafer. The workhorse for devices requiring sub-1µm resolution at volume.
Step-and-repeat exposure on glass substrates up to 500×600mm and 300×400mm, and circular wafers up to 8 inches at 450nm minimum feature. 4µm minimum feature on large panels. Essential for display glass TFT patterning, biochip arrays, panel-level packaging interposers, and glass optical elements where wafer-format steppers fall short in substrate size.
Contact and proximity alignment on substrates up to 500×600mm and 300×400mm, and circular wafers to 12 inches. 4µm minimum feature. Critical front-to-backside alignment capability for double-sided MEMS, aligning backside etch or metal patterns to front-side device features with sub-5µm overlay accuracy through the wafer. Standard for pressure sensor diaphragms, through-wafer holes, and MEMS cantilevers requiring both-side patterning.
Direct patterning on flexible polymer substrates, PET, PEN, and Polycarbonate, up to 400×500mm. L/S resolution of 3µm/3µm. Film thickness from a few micrometres up to 200µm. Compatible with spray coating for uniform resist on flexible substrates with surface relief. Ideal for flexible printed circuits (FPC), flexible sensors, roll-to-roll device prototyping, and any device requiring patterning on a non-rigid substrate.
High-energy X-ray exposure combined with electroforming and molding, the LIGA process (Lithographie, Galvanoformung, Abformung). Creates true 3D microstructures: pillars, gratings, 3D cones, and hemispheric shapes with vertical sidewalls and extreme aspect ratios impossible with UV exposure alone. Deep PMMA resist (millimetre-scale height) exposed through an X-ray mask. The resulting mold is electroformed in Ni, Pd-Ni, or Ni-Co to produce precise metallic microparts.
Lift-Off Patterning
Bi-layer resist and LOR exposure for lift-off of Au, Pt, TiN, and AuSn metals. Our photolithography services include all resist systems and exposure methods used in lift-off patterning flows.
| Exposure Method | Min Feature | Max Substrate | Alignment | Key Capability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-beam lithography | 20nm | Up to 8 inch wafer | Sub-100nm | Maskless direct-write from GDS; nanophotonics; metasurfaces |
| KrF stepper (248nm) | 50nm | Up to 12 inch wafer | 60nm stepping accuracy | Highest throughput sub-micron; MEMS; photonic waveguides |
| Stepper, large panel | 4µm (panel) / 450nm (wafer) | 500×600mm glass; 300×400mm; 8 inch | Step-and-repeat | Display TFT; biochip arrays; glass interposers |
| Mask aligner | 4µm | 500×600mm; 300×400mm; 12 inch | Front-to-back alignment | Double-sided MEMS; through-wafer features |
| Polymer film | 3µm/3µm L/S | 400×500mm film | ±5µm | PET/PEN/PC; FPC; flexible sensors; spray coat capable |
| X-ray LIGA | Sub-µm sidewall | Mask-limited | X-ray mask aligned | 3D microstructures; pillars; cones; gratings; mm depth |
| Shadow mask / metal mask | Feature-dependent | Any substrate | Mechanical alignment | No resist required; lift-off metallisation; large-area deposition control |
Beyond standard photoresist, we pattern a range of organic insulators and functional polymer layers used in MEMS device layers, flexible circuit dielectrics, and advanced packaging passivation.
Both positive-tone (exposed area removed in developer) and negative-tone (exposed area remains) resists available. Thin coatings for sub-micron lithography on standard semiconductor substrates. Thick resists (up to several hundred microns) for deep electroplating molds, LIGA processes, and structural MEMS layers. Spin coating for flat substrates; spray coating for uniform coverage on wafers with existing topography or non-flat surfaces.
SU-8 is a negative-tone epoxy photoresist that cures into a permanent, mechanically robust structural layer. Used as MEMS channel walls, master molds for PDMS soft lithography, microfluidic chip channel masters, and high-aspect-ratio electroplating molds. SU-8 can be coated and patterned in multiple layers to achieve heights from 5µm to over 500µm. The resulting structure is chemically resistant and biocompatible, used in bioMEMS and lab-on-chip devices.
Micron-level patterning on thick organic insulator layers used as interlayer dielectrics and passivation in RDL fabrication, fan-out packaging, and advanced MEMS. Polyimide (PI) for high-temperature and biocompatible applications; PBO (polybenzoxazole) for low-k fan-out RDL; BCB (benzocyclobutene) for lowest dielectric constant (k=2.65) in RF and mmWave applications; acrylic resin for lowest cure temperature. All are photosensitive or etch-patternable.
At Nanosystems JP Inc., we offer X-ray LIGA - creating precision 3D metallic microstructures that are physically impossible with standard UV photolithography, combining X-ray exposure, electroforming, and molding in a single integrated process.
Most semiconductor foundries are limited to 300mm circular wafers. Our large-format stepper and mask aligner process rectangular glass substrates up to 500×600mm, enabling applications that require panel-scale substrates for cost or physical reasons.
TFT gate and source/drain patterning on Eagle XG, soda lime, and LTPS glass substrates. Large-format stepper exposure on 500×600mm and 300×400mm glass panels processes multiple display panels or many sensor chips in a single exposure sequence, dramatically reducing cost per chip compared to wafer-format processing.
Biochip and microfluidic chip arrays on borosilicate and quartz glass up to 500×600mm. Hundreds of chips per panel run, reducing biochip cost by 5–10× versus wafer-format foundries. Front-to-back alignment through the glass using the mask aligner's IR imaging for chips requiring double-sided electrode patterns.
Patterning on glass interposer substrates before or after TGV (Through-Glass Via) fabrication. Large-format glass interposers for RF and optical packaging require lithography at panel scale, circuit trace patterning, electrode definition, and RDL on the same glass panel as the TGV array. Up to 510×510mm panel format coordinated with TGV fabrication.
KrF stepper for Si waveguides, ring resonators, and grating couplers. E-beam for sub-100nm photonic crystal gratings, nanophotonic cavities, and apodised grating couplers. SOI and fused silica substrates processed on the same lithography line.
Mask aligner for pressure sensor diaphragms, MEMS cantilevers, and inertial sensor proof masses. Front-to-back alignment for through-wafer MEMS. SU-8 thick resist for tall structural walls and electroplating molds.
Polymer film lithography on PET/PEN up to 400×500mm for flexible printed circuits, flex sensors, and wearable electronics. Spray coating for uniform resist on pre-patterned flexible substrates with step height.
SU-8 master molds for PDMS soft-lithography. Large-format glass biochip arrays on 500×600mm. Organic insulator patterning for electrode integration in biosensors and electrophoresis chips.
X-ray LIGA for Ni micropore membranes for drug delivery, microneedle arrays for transdermal applications, metallic mesh filters, NIL molds, and micro-nebulisers. Structures impossible with UV lithography.
BCB (k=2.65) organic insulator patterning for RF MEMS and millimetre-wave transmission lines. KrF stepper for fine-pitch RF device features. Shadow mask for metal deposition on substrate materials incompatible with liquid resist processes.
Large-format stepper on 500×600mm glass for TFT backplane patterning. LTPS and amorphous silicon TFT gate lithography. Multiple display panels per exposure run, minimum cost per panel.
X-ray LIGA creates holograms, diffraction gratings, and nano-ID microstructures for banknotes, product authentication, and high-security tickets. Optically active structures invisible to conventional printing, verifiable only by optical inspection.
KrF stepper for SiC MOSFET gate and implant window patterning. Thick resist for deep ion implantation mask. Mask aligner for GaN HEMT gate and field plate lithography on 4–8 inch compound semiconductor wafers.
E-beam (20nm) through 500×600mm large-format panel, six distinct exposure tools operated by engineers who understand the trade-offs between resolution, throughput, substrate format, and cost. Most foundries offer 1–2 methods; we offer all six.
Panel-scale glass processing is rare globally. Most foundries top out at 300mm circular wafers. We routinely expose 500×600mm glass for display, biochip, and packaging applications, reducing cost-per-chip by 5–10× versus wafer-format competitors.
X-ray lithography with electroforming is available at fewer than a dozen facilities worldwide. Our LIGA capability enables 3D metallic microstructures for life sciences, precision optics, security printing, and drug delivery, impossible with any UV lithography approach.
SU-8, polyimide, PBO, BCB, and acrylic, thick and complex organic layer patterning requires process knowledge most MEMS foundries lack. We pattern these routinely for bioMEMS, RDL fabrication, and RF device applications.
Mask aligner front-to-backside alignment for double-sided MEMS structures, aligning backside features to front-side devices with sub-5µm overlay through the full wafer thickness. Critical for through-wafer etch, pressure sensor diaphragms, and vertical MEMS actuators.
Run a single test wafer on any exposure method to verify resist recipe, alignment mark design, or feature resolution before committing to volume. Same process flow scales to production without re-qualification.
🟣 Flexible & metallic substrates: Photolithography on polyimide (PI) film and thin SUS steel is available for thin-film thermocouple and sensor fabrication - separate from the polymer film (PET/PEN/PC) lithography capability above.
Learn more →Share your process requirements, substrate, and production volume, A Nanosystems JP Inc. engineer will respond within 1 business day. Full quote typically within 7–10 business days, subject to project complexity and NDA requirements.