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Reconfigurable shadow mask technology, presented in this paper, introduces the use of microsystems for in situ metal deposition, and direct patterning of structures with micron and submicron lateral and vertical dimensions. A multilayer microstructure acts as a set of addressable active shutters and shadow masks in a physical vapour deposition (PVD) system. Design and fabrication of a microactuator allowing submicron controlled displacements combined with the development of a novel self-aligned multilayer fabrication process allows the deposition of metal nanolines using standard photolithographic exposure tools. Not only does this approach remove the need for nanolithography, it also enables compositional and three-dimensional active in situ variation of the nanolines during deposition. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used to characterize three-dimensional structures and deposited nanolines.

This paper describes fabrication and testing of microsystems which can be utilized for in-situ deposition control and direct patterning of structures with micron and submicron lateral and vertical dimensions. An electrostatically-driven microactuator acts as an addressable active shutter and shadow mask in a Physical Vapor Deposition system. The displacement of the actuator is controlled in the nano-scale range, without using electrical sensing circuitry, by means of 'stoppers' fabricated as integral parts of the structure. The deposition of metals through the real-time-actuated microsystem allowed control of the three dimensional shape of the deposited patterns as verified by AFM measurements.