3D Printer Manufacturer Nanoscribe presents new 2GL Microfabrication Technology

3D printer manufacturer Nanoscribe has introduced 2GL, a new technology for 3D microfabrication. Two-photon grayscale lithography (2GL) is now setting completely new standards for 3D nano- and microfabrication. According to the company, the technology combines the high resolution of two-photon polymerization (2PP) with a patented voxel tuning process. This is said to make 2GL the fastest 2PP-based 3D printing technology with high shape accuracy and outstanding print quality.

Nanoscribe’s Quantum X platform, with its patented two-photon grayscale lithography technology for additive manufacturing of optically high-quality 2D and 2.5D microstructures, has become the platform of choice for industrial manufacturing and mastery of micro-optics. Now Nanoscribe is taking voxel alignment technology into the third dimension by introducing 3D printing through 2GL as an essential complement to the Aligned Two-Photon Lithography (A2PL) capabilities of the Quantum X align.

The printing process is based on the dynamic modulation of the laser power in real time during scanning at maximum speed. This results in precise sizing of the polymerizing voxel to perfectly match the contours of any 3D shape. 3D printing by 2GL guarantees flawless, optically high-quality surfaces and the finest sub-micron features, without any step splitting or shape distortion, just the actual shape of each 3D printed design.

3D printing by 2GL is the fastest 2PP-based microfabrication technology on the market. Dynamic voxel tuning means that significantly fewer print layers are required to achieve print results with optically high-quality, smooth surfaces as well as nanostructured surfaces. This results in a manufacturing speed that is unmatched by any available 2PP-based 3D printer. The fastest additive manufacturing technology on the market for 3D nano- and microfabrication delivers 10 to 60 times the throughput rate of any current 2-photon lithography system when demanding print quality requirements are met.

3D printing by 2GL offers the highest optical quality, finest sub-micron features and previously unimaginable high throughput rates. This significantly advances micro-optics manufacturing and photonics packaging. The Nanoscribe Quantum X align with its aligned 2-photon lithography A2PL is equipped with this fundamentally new printing technology and is supported by the advanced aligner software nanoPrintX.

The Quantum X align is optimized for printing micro-optical elements with highest placement accuracy and automatic alignment on optical fibers and photonic chips. With the completely new level of quality and speed, 3D printing by 2GL paves the way for further industrialization of Free Space Micro Optical Coupling (FSMOC) as a highly robust and efficient light coupling solution for photonics packaging and integration.

3D printing by 2GL truly marks a new era for 2PP-based 3D microfabrication. There are numerous potential use cases for this technology beyond micro-optics and photonics, whenever the fastest printing speed, optically high-quality surfaces, finest sub-micron details or textured surfaces are crucial. Prepare for impressive print quality and up to 60 times higher throughput rates.