Additive Manufacturing of Micro‐sized Parts

Abstract Additive Manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing defines a family of technologies for making objects of almost any shape from virtual 3D model data through additive processes in which successive layers of material are laid down. Laser‐based AM processes like laser‐sintering, selective laser‐melting or stereolithography, differ in the materials that can be used as well as the smallest features that can be achieved in the final parts. Driven by the trend of miniaturization, common high‐resolution AM technologies like stereolithography reach their limitations, when the typical layer thickness in the range of 50 to 150 μm does not suffice to meet application demands. This is where the innovative technique of 3D laser lithography provides a significant advantage. The process of two‐photon polymerization enables the fabrication of high‐resolution 3D micro‐objects with heights from a few hundred nanometers up to several millimeters and layer thicknesses well below 1 μm.