The process generally involves coating a substrate with a photosensitive material called a resist, which is then exposed to a form of radiation (e.g., ultraviolet light, electron beam, or X-rays) through a mask with the desired pattern. The exposed areas of the resist undergo a chemical change, making them either more or less soluble in a developer solution, which subsequently washes away the soluble parts, leaving a patterned resist that can be used to etch or deposit materials onto the substrate.
