There is a lower limit on the wavelength that can be used in optical lithography, because beyond it all the radiation is absorbed (by the mask?). So why is it that x-ray lithography, involving way lower wavelengths, does not have the same problem?
Gary H
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You are in the realm of very sophisticated material-radiation interactions. There are limits to using visible light in lithography but only some of those limits are due to the interactions with the mask material. These limits are why people are developing deep UV and x-ray and e beam lithography. These new technologies have limitations as well, they are just different limitations. A great deal of the technologies development is really focussed on determining exactly what the limitations are.