Photolithography

Photolithography is a way to make really tiny things, like computer chips and microprocessors. Imagine you have a big sheet of paper and you want to cut out really tiny shapes from it, like stars or hearts. You couldn't do this just by cutting with scissors because the shapes would be too small and hard to control.

So instead, you could draw the shapes you want on the paper with a special pen that makes very thin lines. Then, you take a really bright light and shine it on the paper, so the light goes through the tiny lines you drew. When the light hits the paper, it leaves a pattern that can be used to cut out the tiny shapes you want.

Photolithography works in much the same way. Instead of paper, a special material called a wafer is used, and instead of a pen, a machine uses light to create a pattern on the material. The light is so bright and precise that it can make tiny shapes that are smaller than the width of a human hair!

The pattern that is created on the wafer is then used to make computer chips and microprocessors. The wafer is special because it can conduct electricity, which is important for making these electronic devices work.

So in summary, photolithography is like drawing really small shapes on a piece of material with a special pen and shining a bright light on it to create a pattern. This pattern is then used to make tiny computer chips and microprocessors that help power our electronic devices.