Parallel Illumination Submicron Additive Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing two-photon lithography techniques are limited by a serial writing scheme, resulting in a low processing rate of approximately 0.1 mm^3/hour, which prevents the fabrication of functional parts with submicron features at high volumes.
Innovation Solution
A parallel illumination technique using a tunable mask with an optically dispersive element, combined with temporal focusing of wideband femtosecond laser sources, allows for simultaneous projection of an entire plane of points, increasing the processing rate by at least 100 times while maintaining depth resolvability and feature complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a serial writing technique is used to achieve submicron feature fabrication, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the single focused beam into multiple parallel beams using a diffractive optical element, allowing simultaneous processing of multiple features. Each beam maintains the intensity and focus characteristics needed for submicron precision while the parallel architecture enables volumetric processing rates exceeding 100 mm³/hour.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple beams into parallel processing channels while maintaining their individual focusing capabilities. The diffractive optical element creates an array of focal points that can be independently controlled, combining the precision of serial writing with the throughput of parallel processing.
2Productivity
If parallelization is attempted to increase processing rate, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamically controllable beam intensities and focal positions for each parallel beam. The system can independently adjust the parameters of each beam in the array, allowing complex 3D structures with varying feature sizes and depths to be fabricated while maintaining submicron precision. This dynamic control enables depth resolvability where features at different Z-positions can be selectively processed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes multiple parameters simultaneously across the beam array including intensity, focal position, and wavelength to achieve both high productivity and precision. By independently controlling these parameters for each beam, the system can fabricate arbitrarily complex 3D structures with submicron features at volumetric rates exceeding 100 mm³/hour.
3Productivity
If the same beam is split into multiple identical beams for scale-up, then productivity is improved, but adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing each beam in the parallel array to have different properties tailored to the specific features being processed. Each beam can have customized intensity, focal depth, and exposure parameters, enabling the fabrication of arbitrarily complex non-periodic structures while maintaining high productivity through parallel processing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method achieves a significant increase in processing rate, enabling the fabrication of arbitrarily complex 3D structures with submicron features at high volumes, while maintaining depth resolvability and feature complexity comparable to serial techniques.
Implementation Method 1
a laser source for generating a laser beam
Implementation Method 2
The tunable mask comprises an optically dispersive element. The tunable mask is configured to split the laser beam into a plurality of emergent beams
Implementation Method 3
A collimator is included for collecting and collimating at least one of the emergent beams from the tunable mask to form a collimated beam
Implementation Method 4
One or more focusing elements are included to focus the collimated beam into a focused beam which is projected as a focused image plane onto or within the photopolymer resist material
Implementation Method 5
Two-photon polymerization, also sometimes referred to as two-photon lithography, is a popular present day technique to additively manufacture complex 3D structures with submicron building blocks. This technique uses a nonlinear photo-absorption process to polymerize submicron features within the interior of the photopolymer resist material
Implementation Method 6
A parallel illumination technique using a tunable mask with an optically dispersive element, combined with temporal focusing of wideband femtosecond laser sources, allows for simultaneous projection of an entire plane of points
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus is disclosed for performing an additive manufacturing operation to form a structure by processing a photopolymer resist material. The apparatus may incorporate a laser for generating a laser beam, and a tunable mask for receiving the laser beam which has an optically dispersive element. The mask splits the laser beam into a plurality of emergent beams each having a subplurality of beamlets of varying or identical intensity, with each beamlet emerging from a unique subsection of illuminated regions of the mask. A collimator collimates at least one of the emergent beams to form a collimated beam. One or more focusing elements focuses the collimated beam into a focused beam which is projected as a focused image plane on or within the resist material. The focused beam simultaneously illuminates a layer of the resist material to process an entire layer in a parallel fashion.