In today’s era of rapid technological development, 3D printing technology is undoubtedly a shining star in the manufacturing industry. But have you ever thought about whether 3D printing can print micrometer sized parts?
Firstly, the answer is yes. In recent years, 3D printing technology has been constantly advancing and innovating, and micro nano level 3D printing has also made significant progress and breakthroughs, thus possessing the ability to print micro scale parts. Some advanced 3D printing technologies, such as Two-Photon Polymerization(TPP), Computed Axial Lithography(CAL), transient optical liquid forming, Digital Light Processing(DLP), etc., can achieve very high precision and print parts at the micrometer or even nanometer level.
The main difference between micro nano 3D printing and “traditional” 3D printing is that micro nano 3D printing can achieve high precision that “traditional” 3D printing cannot achieve. The precision of micro nano 3D printing can reach the level of micro, and nano (i.e. one billionth of a meter). This feature enables micro nano level 3D printing to replicate small structures in bulk, manufacturing devices that are truly at the microscopic level, achieving details and precision that general 3D printing cannot match. Micro stereolithography (single photon absorption) and two-photon polymerization based on photopolymerization are currently the most representative micro nano 3D printing technologies. Among them, Two-Photon Polymerization（TPP）has the highest printing resolution and is widely used in the market as a micro nano 3D printing technology that can achieve nanometer level accuracy.
Two-Photon Polymerization (TPP) is like a precise micro sculptor, freely unleashing his skills in the microscopic world. It mainly uses continuous, pulsed laser or LED light as energy sources, adopts layered scanning and stacking forming methods, decomposes the 3D model layer by layer into a 2D model, and further combines with microscopic imaging optical systems to shrink or focus the beam, controlling the photopolymerization reaction process at the micro nano scale, and realizing the printing and manufacturing of micro nano level 3D structures. This technology has a high feature resolution, reaching up to 100 nanometers, but the printing speed is slow, only able to print 1-20 cubic millimeters per hour, mainly used for printing millimeter objects.
This micro scale 3D printing has remarkable applications in multiple fields, with enormous potential and innovative value. In the biomedical field, it can print micro scaffolds for cell culture: artificial blood vessels, tissue engineering scaffolds. The size and structure of these micro scaffolds are at the micrometer level, providing cells with the perfect growth environment and bringing new hope to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
a. a. Optical path design diagram b. Imaging effect simulation diagram c. Single lens, double lens, and triple lens group cross-sectional electron microscope images d. Experimental imaging effect diagram
Micro scale 3D printing technology has shown great potential in the field of microelectronics. It can manufacture tiny electronic components and circuits, such as microchip manufacturing and microsensors, making electronic products more miniaturized, integrated, and high-performance. In addition, in the field of optics, it can manufacture micro nano level micro lens arrays and diffractive optical elements; In the aerospace field, it can manufacture micro satellite components; In the field of energy, it can print micro battery electrodes, etc
However, achieving micrometer level 3D printing is not an easy task. This requires extremely precise equipment and highly stable control systems. Even small errors can lead to deviations in the printed results. Moreover, the selection and performance of printing materials are also crucial, ensuring that they can be well formed at the microscale and possess the required physical and chemical properties.
At present, representatives of companies worldwide that can produce commercial micro nano printing systems (equipment+materials) include Nanoscribe, Boston Micro Fabric, Microlight3D, UpNano (in collaboration with Cubicure), Heidelberg Instruments, and other companies based on photopolymerization technology; In addition, it also includes micro printing companies such as Nano Dimension (PCB printing), 3D Micro Print (micro laser sintering), Nano Fabrica (acquired by Nano Dimension), Exaddon (electrochemical deposition), Cytoseal (microfluidics+atomic force microscopy), Fluicell (microfluidics), etc. Among them, the most representative micro nano 3D printing companies formed by photopolymerization are Microlight3D, which has a compact desktop two-photon polymerization system Microlight3D lithography machine; NanoArch manufactured using surface projection micro stereolithography technology ® Boston Micro Fabrication’s series of 3D printing equipment; And Nanoscribe, dedicated to the research and development, manufacturing, and after-sales service of two-photon polymerization technology.
Due to the limitations of material types, performance, printing speed, accuracy, and other conditions, current micro nano level 3D printing technology can often only achieve micro nano level precision part printing for specific materials, which is very unfavorable for the popularization of micro nano level 3D printing technology.
And how to achieve higher accuracy, resolution, and efficiency? How can we make more types of materials suitable for micro scale 3D printing to meet the needs of different fields? How can we reduce the cost of micro nano 3D printing equipment and achieve popularization? How can we gradually move from the research and development stage to large-scale industrial production to meet the market’s bulk demand for micro scale 3D printing products? These are the challenges currently faced by micro nano level 3D printing technology.
In recent years, professionals in the field of 3D printing technology have also conducted extensive research on this. I believe that with the continuous breakthroughs and innovations in technology, the ability to 3D print micro scale parts will also continue to improve, bringing more possibilities for innovation and manufacturing in multiple fields, as well as more surprises and changes to our lives.