photolithography

noun

pho·​to·​li·​thog·​ra·​phy ˌfō-tō-li-ˈthä-grə-fē 

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

ˌfō-tō-ˈli-thə-ˌgraf 

noun or transitive verb

photolithographic

ˌfō-tō-ˌli-thə-ˈgra-fik 

adjective

photolithographically

ˌfō-tō-ˌli-thə-ˈgra-fi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of photolithography in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In conventional photolithography, an opaque mask blocks light from unwanted areas to create two-dimensional patterns. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026

Hynix is seeking to raise almost $30 billion in finance capital with an issuance of 18 million shares in order to buy photolithography machines and build new facilities. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 10 July 2026

Fabricated using a 2-micrometer process (meaning that 2 µm was the minimum size of the features that could be patterned onto silicon using photolithography), the XC2064 implemented a few thousand logic gates. — IEEE Spectrum, 28 Apr. 2026

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

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for photolithography

• arteriography
• autobiography
• biogeography
• cholangiography
• cinematography
• historiography
• photomicrography
• ultrasonography
• ventriculography
• angiocardiography
• electrocardiography
• arthrography