Method of forming a darkfield etch mask

Susceptibility of darkfield etch masks (majority of the mask area is opaque) to pinhole defects, transferred pattern, non-uniformity, etc. due to ejector dropout or drop misdirection, and long duty cycles due to large-area coverage, when using digital lithography (or print patterning) is addressed by using a clear-field print pattern that is then coated with etch resist material. The printed clear field pattern is selectively removed to form an inverse pattern (darkfield) within the coated resist layer. Etching then removes selected portions of an underlying (e.g., encapsulation, conductive, etc.) layer. Removal of the mask produces a layer with large-area features with substantially reduced defects.