Stencils are also used in micro/nanotechnology, as miniature shadow masks through which material can be deposited, etched or ions implanted onto a substrate.
Stencil lithography has unique advantages compared to other patterning techniques: it does not require spinning of a uniform layer of resist (therefore patterns can be created on 3D topographies) and it does not involve any heat or chemical treatment of the substrate (like baking, developing and removing the resist).