From my experience, you couldn't get a 5um linewidth using a shadow mask. We use shadow masks (0.3 mm thick) but don't get satisfactory results below 500 um (0.5mm) due to sidewall.

For 5um linewidth, you can try lithography. Still, please check with the minimum feature size for the mask you design and the lithography tool (in academics, mask alignment below 10um is a major challenge).

Ankur Khapre I've seen pretty tiny shadow mask features but the shadow mask was made using lithography to etch holes in a wafer and still requires lithography to achieve. I agree with Md Samim Reza lithography would be a good thing to try. You should be able to get good feature sizes in a university lab if you optimize the photoresist/exposure and development processes.

Good Luck!

Depositing a 5-micrometer metal linewidth on a substrate using a shadow mask in sputtering is feasible but intricate. Precise mask design, material selection, and sputtering equipment are vital. A well-designed shadow mask, created with techniques like photolithography, must align accurately with the substrate. Control over sputtering parameters, such as deposition rate and angle, is crucial. Proper substrate preparation ensures film adhesion. Extensive process optimization, including power and pressure adjustments, is essential. Maintaining mask-to-substrate alignment is critical. Quality control via microscopy is used to verify the 5-micrometer linewidth. Achieving this precision often demands expertise and specialized equipment, making consultation or outsourcing advisable for inexperienced practitioners.