lithography

noun

li·​thog·​ra·​phy li-ˈthä-grə-fē 

1

: the process of printing from a plane surface (such as a smooth stone or metal plate) on which the image to be printed is ink-receptive and the blank area ink-repellent

2

: the process of producing patterns on semiconductor crystals for use as integrated circuits

Examples of lithography in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Importantly, the company’s technology, which includes materials used for the actual polishing and etching (lithography) of chips, as well as advanced packaging and thermal solutions, is integral for the development of leading-edge chips. —Jeff Marks, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025

In these bite-size courses, which can be as short as a week or two, future engineers and technicians can gain critical hands-on experience in clean-room fundamentals or an introduction to topics like lithography or etching. —Gwendolyn Rak, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Sep. 2025

This creates complementary logic circuits without lithography, etching, or high-temperature processes. —Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 14 Sep. 2025

The company provides process control and yield management solutions for semiconductor industries, including defect inspection, metrology (the science of measurement), process monitoring, computational lithography, and data analytics products. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

litho- + -graphy, after French lithographie or German Lithographie (now Lithografie)

First Known Use

1813, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lithography

• arthrography
• biography
• cartography
• cosmography
• cryptography
• demography
• discography
• echography
• ethnography
• filmography
• geography
• hydrography

Kids Definition

lithography

noun

li·​thog·​ra·​phy lith-ˈäg-rə-fē 

: a method of printing from a flat surface (as a smooth stone or metal plate) that has been prepared in such a way that only the areas meant to print will take ink