Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 31, 2026
10:49
Planar and Three-Dimensional Printing of Conductive Inks
Published on: December 9, 2011
Grayscale projection two-photon lithography using sub-diffraction motifs for ultrafast and precise nanoscale 3D
1Scalable Technologies for Advanced Manufacturing Lab, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Nature Communications
|May 29, 2026
Summary
This study introduces grayscale projection two-photon lithography, enabling rapid and high-fidelity nanoscale 3D printing. The technique overcomes speed-accuracy tradeoffs by independently tuning over 15,000 focal spots for precise light control.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Additive Manufacturing
- Optical Engineering
Background:
- Achieving high-fidelity nanoscale 3D printing rapidly remains a challenge due to the inherent speed-accuracy tradeoff.
- Optical projection methods offer scalability but struggle with precise light dosage control, compromising fidelity.
- Existing solutions often involve multiple projections, which reduces printing speed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel 3D printing method that overcomes the speed-accuracy tradeoff in nanoscale fabrication.
- To enable high-fidelity nanoscale 3D printing with significantly increased speed and precision.
- To demonstrate a technique capable of suppressing common printing artifacts.
Main Methods:
- Introduced grayscale projection two-photon lithography (GP-2PL) utilizing a binary mask.
- Leveraged optical diffraction to achieve simultaneous grayscale tuning across numerous focal spots (over 15,000).
- Independently tuned the intensity of each focal spot to control light dosage precisely.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated suppression of proximity effects and compensation for non-uniform illumination and stitching artifacts.
- Achieved rapid 3D printing with a single femtosecond pulse per layer.
- Successfully printed nanowires as thin as 55 nm at rates of 1.7 billion voxels/s and 215 mm³/hr.
Conclusions:
- Grayscale projection two-photon lithography effectively overcomes the speed-accuracy tradeoff in nanoscale 3D printing.
- The method allows for precise control over light dosage, leading to high-fidelity fabrication of nanoscale structures.
- This technique significantly advances the capabilities of high-speed, high-resolution additive manufacturing.
