Electroactive polymers for lithography

1. A lithography apparatus, comprising:

a mask holder having a mask location;

a substrate holder having a substrate location; and

a positioner configured to shift the relative positions of the mask holder and the substrate holder in a lateral direction by actuating an electroactive polymer member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a stage configured to bring the mask holder and the substrate holder into relative proximity.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the positioner shifts the relative position of the mask holder and the substrate holder by moving the mask holder.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the positioner shifts the relative position of the mask and the substrate holder by moving the substrate holder.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an energy source positioned to direct an energy flux through the mask position to the substrate position.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the energy flux is electromagnetic radiation.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the energy flux is an electron beam.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a beam-directing element.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a mask in the mask location, wherein the mask is configured to emit light.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the mask comprises a light-emitting diode.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein at least a portion of the mask fluoresces.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the mask comprises a waveguide configured to leak light at a selected location.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising

a mask in the mask location; and

a substrate in the substrate location,

wherein the mask has a physical effect on a surface of the substrate when the mask and the surface of the substrate are brought into contact.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein chemical composition of the surface is changed by contact with the mask.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the substrate comprises a surface coating of a resist composition, and wherein the physical effect on the surface is a chemical change in the resist composition.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electroactive polymer member comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ferroelectric polymers, dielectric polymers, electrostrictive polymers, electroviscoelastic polymers, liquid crystals, ionic polymers, carbon nanotubes, electrorheological polymers, and magnetorheological polymers.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electroactive polymer member comprises an elastomer.

18. A lithographic method, comprising:

positioning a mask proximate to a substrate; and

laterally shifting the relative position of the mask and the substrate by actuating an electroactive polymer member.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein actuating the electroactive polymer member includes applying a voltage to the electroactive polymer member.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein actuating the electroactive polymer member includes applying a magnetic field to the electroactive polymer member.

21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising exposing the substrate to an energy flux through the mask.

22. The method of claim 18 , further comprising exposing the substrate to an energy flux from the mask.

23. The method of claim 18 , further comprising causing a physical effect on a surface of the substrate by contact with the mask.

24. A lithography apparatus, comprising:

a mask holder having a mask location;

a substrate holder having a substrate location; and

a positioner configured to relatively rotate the mask holder and the substrate holder by actuating an electroactive polymer member.

25. A lithography apparatus, comprising:

a mask holder having a mask location;

a substrate holder having a substrate location; and

a positioner configured to shift the relative positions of the mask holder and the substrate holder from a first arrangement to a second arrangement having a selected relationship between the mask location and the substrate location, the positioner including a first electroactive polymer member and a second electroactive polymer member, together configured to shift the relative positions from the first arrangement to the second arrangement,

wherein the first electroactive polymer member is configured to shift the relative positions in a direction selected from the group consisting of a lateral shift, a rotation, a tilt, and a vertical shift, and wherein the second electroactive polymer member is configured to shift the relative positions in a different direction from the first electroactive polymer member.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , further comprising a stage configured to bring the mask holder and the substrate holder into relative proximity.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 , further comprising an energy source positioned to direct an energy flux through the mask position to the substrate position.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 , further comprising a mask in the mask location, wherein the mask is configured to emit light.

29. The apparatus of claim 25 , further comprising

a mask in the mask location; and

a substrate in the substrate location,

wherein the mask has a physical effect on a surface of the substrate when the mask and the surface of the substrate are brought into contact.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein chemical composition of the surface is changed by contact with the mask.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein a functional group is transferred from the mask to the substrate by contact therebetween.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein a functional group is transferred from the substrate to the mask by contact therebetween.

33. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the substrate comprises a surface coating of a resist composition, and wherein the physical effect on the surface is a chemical change in the resist composition.

34. A lithographic method, comprising:

positioning a mask proximate to a substrate;

shifting the relative position of the mask and the substrate by actuating a first electroactive polymer member; and

further shifting the relative position of the mask and the substrate by actuating a second electroactive polymer member,

wherein shifting the relative position of the mask and the substrate by actuating the first electroactive polymer member includes shifting the relative position of the mask and the substrate in a direction selected from the group consisting of a lateral shift, a rotation, a tilt, and a vertical shift, and

wherein shifting the relative position of the mask and the substrate by actuating the second electroactive polymer member includes shifting the relative position of the mask and the substrate in a different direction from the first electroactive polymer member.

35. The method of claim 34 , further comprising exposing the substrate to an energy flux through the mask.

36. The method of claim 34 , further comprising exposing the substrate to an energy flux from the mask.

37. The method of claim 34 , further comprising causing a physical effect on a surface of the substrate by contact with the mask.