photolithography

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: lithography in which photographically prepared plates are used
2
: a process involving the photographic transfer of a pattern to a surface for etching (as in producing an integrated circuit)

photolithograph

2 of 3

noun (2)

: a print made by photolithography

photolithograph

3 of 3

transitive verb

"
: to make a photolithograph of

Examples of photolithography in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
The performance-per-watt frontier has shifted from photolithography to the atomic layer. Sundeep Bajikar, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025 Like other photolithography masks, this is made by etching a pattern using electron-beam lithography. IEEE Spectrum, 2 Jan. 2025 As with photolithography, the technique used to create integrated circuits on silicon wafers, the method, often called optical projection bioprinting, casts a pattern of light and dark shapes across the entire printing field. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026 In semiconductor manufacturing, helium's cooling properties are used to transfer heat, with the gas also indispensable in photolithography, a technique used to print each chip's intricate circuitry. Dylan Butts, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for photolithography

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

International Scientific Vocabulary

Noun (2)

phot- + lithograph

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1855, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of photolithography was in 1855

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Cite this Entry

“Photolithography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/photolithography. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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