This invention provides a directional ion etching process for making nano-scaled
angled features such as may be used, for example, in liquid crystal displays and
or nanoimprinting templates. In a particular embodiment a semiconductor wafer substrate
is prepared with at least one layer of material. A photoresist is applied, masked,
exposed and developed. Anisotropic ion etching at a high angle relative to the
wafer is performed to remove portions of the non protected material layer. The
remaining photoresist caps shadow at least a portion of the material layer, and
as the ion etching is performed at an angle, the protected portions of the material
layer also appear at an angle.
