Fabrication of monolithic 3D micro-systems.

Area of Science:

• Microfabrication and Nanotechnology
• Additive Manufacturing
• Materials Science

Background:

• Rapid prototyping of complex 3D microstructures is crucial for advancements in microfluidics, optics, and biomedical devices.
• Existing methods often involve multiple steps, specialized equipment, or limitations in achievable geometries.
• There is a need for versatile and efficient techniques to fabricate arbitrary 3D microstructures with high precision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel method and platform for fast prototyping of monolithic 3D microstructures.
• To demonstrate the capability of producing arbitrary positive, negative, and suspended 3D geometries.
• To showcase the fabrication of sealed spaces and aligned 3D geometries using standard photoresists.

Main Methods:

• Development and refinement of a mask-less micro-projection lithography platform.
• Integration of the lithography system with a standard fluorescence microscope.
• Utilizing standard photoresists for fabrication with minimal process steps.

Main Results:

• Achieved high spatial resolutions of up to 5 µm for microstructures.
• Demonstrated high aspect ratios of up to 10:1.
• Successfully integrated microstructures within macroscopic areas (millimetres) with resolutions up to 30 µm.

Conclusions:

• The refined mask-less micro-projection lithography offers a fast and versatile approach for 3D microstructure prototyping.
• The method enables the fabrication of complex geometries, including suspended and sealed structures.
• This technique holds potential for various applications requiring precise 3D micro-components.