Chapter 1. Microstereolithography

Abstract

Microstereolithography is a light-assisted three-dimensional (3D) fabrication technology providing free-form fabrication capability with fine resolution and high speed. There is a wide range of material choice for this technology, including biomaterials such as hydrogels and proteins. It realizes 3D fabrication by spatially controlling light exposure so that the liquid state material solidifies at the predefined location and forms a solid structure as design. The prevailing polymerization mechanism is free-radical photopolymerization, which can be induced in a solution comprising the proper monomers and photoinitiators. Microstereolithography outstrips inkjet-based and extrusion-based micro 3D printing on fabrication resolution, fabrication speed, and structural integrity. While scanning-based microstereolithography is able to print a structure with a ∼100 nm resolution at a slow speed, projection-based microstereolithography offers a much faster fabrication speed (e.g., in seconds) at a microscale printing resolution.