Economical mask production for micromachining using layout software and desk-top publishing company

A very simple, quick and economical method is presented for producing masks for micromachining technology. This method utilizes any existing layout design software or any drafting software available in personal computers or Macintosh computers. The master copy of the mask can be produced using any commercial desk top publishing (DTP) company. This mask-pattern can then be transferred onto an emulsion mask plate for use in a mask aligner. Reproducible line width in the order of 20 microns can be easily produced, which is quite sufficient for many micromachining experiments and research.