English

MIT researchers have demonstrated a novel chip based resin 3D printer

479
2024-06-17 15:22:09
See translation

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Texas at Austin showcased the first chip based resin 3D printer. Their concept verification tool consists of a millimeter sized photon chip that emits a programmable beam of light into resin holes, which solidify into a solid structure when exposed to light.

The prototype processor does not have mobile components, but uses a series of small optical antennas to guide the beam of light. The beam is projected upwards into the liquid resin, which is carefully designed to quickly cure when exposed to the visible wavelength of the beam.
By integrating silicon photonics and photochemistry, interdisciplinary research teams can demonstrate a chip that can guide a beam of light to 3D print any two-dimensional design, including the letters M-I-T. The shape can be fully constructed within seconds.

Silicon Photonics and Special Resins
The Notaros group, which specializes in silicon photonics, has created an integrated optical phased array device that uses a microscale antenna on a chip to guide a beam of light. They can change the optical signals on both sides of the antenna array to control the beam of light. These systems are crucial for LiDAR sensors, which use infrared light to measure the surrounding environment. Recently, the group has shifted its focus to devices that generate and guide visible light for augmented reality applications.

Around the same time as they began brainstorming, the Page team at the University of Texas at Austin developed for the first time a specialized resin that could rapidly cure using visible light wavelengths. This is the missing part that makes chip based 3D printers a reality.
Corsetti added, "Here, we manufacture this chip based 3D printer by using visible light curing resin and visible light emitting chips, meeting between standard photochemistry and silicon photonics. You integrate the two technologies into a completely new idea.".

Chip based resin 3D printer
Their prototype consists of a photonic chip with a 160 nanometer optical antenna array. The thickness of a piece of paper is about 100000 nanometers. The entire chip is suitable for a quarter of the United States.

When driven by an off chip laser, the antenna guides the controllable visible beam into the holes of the photocured resin. The chip is located below a transparent glass slide, similar to the glass slide used in a microscope, which has a small depression that can capture resin. Researchers use electrical pulses to guide laser beams in a non mechanical manner, making the resin harden at any point of impact.

The Page team at the University of Texas at Austin works closely with the Notaros team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to fine tune chemical combinations and concentrations to achieve a formula with a long shelf life and solidification.
Finally, scientists have demonstrated that their prototype can 3D print any two-dimensional shape in just a few seconds.

expectation
In the long run, researchers envision a system where a photon chip is located at the bottom of a resin well and creates a 3D hologram of visible light, thereby solidifying a complete object in one step.
This type of portable 3D printer can have a wide range of applications, including allowing doctors to build customized medical device components and engineers to create rapid prototypes in the workplace.

This study received partial support from the National Science Foundation, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Robert Welch Foundation, the MIT Rolf G. Rocher Endowment Scholarship, and the MIT Frederick and Barbara Croning Scholarship.

Source: Laser Net

Related Recommendations
  • The largest ultra fast laser production base in the northwest has been completed and put into operation

    As a representative enterprise in the field of ultrafast lasers, Zhuolai Laser has always performed outstandingly in the market, not only possessing dual technologies of "ultrafast+ultra strong", but also covering a remarkable range of technical routes in China. In 2022, the company completed a financing of 200 million yuan.Recently, Zhuolai Laser announced to the public that its Xi'an subsidiary ...

    2024-04-28
    See translation
  • GZTECH selected as a reserve "golden seed" enterprise for listing in Hubei Province

    Recently, relevant departments officially released the list of reserve "golden seed" enterprises for listing in Hubei Province for 2024-2025. Following being selected as reserve "golden seed" enterprises for listing in Donghu High tech Zone and Wuhan City in 2024, Wuhan GZTECH Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "GZTECH") once again stood out from many candidate enterprises with its outstanding ...

    05-19
    See translation
  • Aerotech's next-generation laser processing technology for medical device manufacturing

    Recently, Aerotech Inc., a global leader in precision motion control and automation, launched the ultimate cylindrical laser machining motion platform LaserTurn160. LaserTurn160 is designed for unparalleled precision and efficiency, with a 40% increase in production capacity compared to similar systems, setting a new standard for medical device manufacturing. Extremely high efficiency, unparalle...

    02-08
    See translation
  • Breaking the production record! Laser and lithium achieve ammonia production under environmental conditions for the first time

    The application of laser technology has revolutionized the methods of nitrogen fixation, providing a new method for synthesizing ammonia under environmental conditions. Recently, researchers have used commercial carbon dioxide lasers for the first time to disrupt the nitrogen nitrogen triple bond, providing a new green alternative to the Haber Bosch process.It is reported that the international re...

    2023-10-16
    See translation
  • OPO laser testing optical components

    Optical parametric oscillator laser tests fibers and components to characterize the spectral response of optical components, thereby providing a competitive advantage in the optical industry.OPO lasers have long been used in complex testing and measurement applications, such as mass spectrometry, photoacoustic imaging, and spectroscopy. Now, these "tunable" pulse lasers are being used to facilitat...

    2024-02-20
    See translation