lithoetchlithoetch

Lithoetchlithoetch is a term used in some technical and artistic contexts to describe a workflow that alternates lithographic patterning with etching steps in successive cycles to shape a substrate. The name derives from lithography (litho) and etching (etch), and is not a formally standardized process. It is better understood as a description of a multi-cycle patterning strategy rather than a single, fixed protocol.

In practice, lithoetchlithoetch involves repeating a sequence of lithography, development, and etching to progressively transfer and deepen a pattern. A typical cycle begins with coating a substrate with a photosensitive resist, exposing it to a pattern, developing to reveal selected regions, and performing an etch to remove material in exposed areas. The resist is then stripped, and a new lithography step is performed to define additional features or to correct for alignment, followed by another etch. Repeating cycles can increase feature depth, enable complex geometries, or enable multi-material patterning through selective etching and resist choices. Dry etching (such as reactive ion etching) and wet chemical etching are both used, depending on materials and goals, along with various resist chemistries and adhesion layers.

Applications include microfabrication for semiconductor devices and MEMS, where precise control of pattern depth and overlay is important, as well as experimental or art-based printmaking techniques that require multiple layers. The method requires careful alignment, etch selectivity, and process control to minimize distortion and defects.