Micro-Scale Printmaking on Silicon

Abstract

Printmaking is a fine art practice that encompasses a variety of media including intaglio, relief, lithography and screen-printing. In this collaborative research project the authors extend the traditional boundaries of printmaking to create editions of micro-scale prints on the surface of silicon integrated circuits using the layers of materials normally used for making transistors and electrical interconnections. The process by which the images are printed on the silicon surface is discussed, alongside some of the conceptual and technical issues related to creating printed images using this technology.