We investigated the response of monolayers of alkyltriethoxysilane with a photoprotected carboxylic ester to focused femtosecond pulses in the near-infrared spectral range. A decoration routine was developed to quantify the degree of deprotection on small areas. Our observations point to a two-photon induced deprotection that holds great promise for further developments in lithography with ultrahigh resolution.Most photolithographic processes employed today are based on photo-induced chemical transformations of polymer films with typical thicknesses in the range from several tens of nanometers to several micrometers. This chemical change may increase the solubility due to fragmentation or decrease it due to cross-linking.[1]

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