Nanoscribe, a German manufacturer of two-photon additive manufacturing systems has introduced a new machine, the Quantum X. The latest system uses two-photon lithography for fabricating nano-sized refractive and diffractive micro-optics which can be as small as 200微米。
Breaking the law
According to Dr. Michael Thiel, co-founder and CSO of Nanoscribe, “Beer’s lawimposes strong limitations on today’s maskless lithography devices. Quantum X features two-photon grayscale lithography, which overcomes these limitations and offers unprecedented design freedom and ease-of-use. Our customers are working at the cutting edge of microfabrication.”
Nano 3D printing
Nanoscribewas founded as a spinoff ofKarlsruhe技术学院， 和now has a subsidiary in Shanghai and an office in the U.S. The company is financially and technically supported byZEISS, one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of optical systems in Germany.
Nanoscribe systems are based on two-photon absorption, a process in which a molecule is excited to a higher energy state. To fabricate 3D objects using the two-photon process, a gel containing monomers and two-photon active photoinitiators are used as raw material. A laser is fired onto the photosensitive material to form a nano-sized 3D printed object where the intensity of the absorbed light is the highest.
Nanoscribe的Photonic Professional GT在研究中发现了广泛的应用，并用于Harvard’Center for Nanoscale Systems,加利福尼亚理工学院,伦敦帝国学院,苏黎世， 和Keio University.
Recently, it was reported that Nanoscribe has also joined themiLiQuant项目，并将使用其光子技术专业知识将量子技术带入工业水平。我n addition to two-photon machines, Nanoscribe also manufactures negative-tone resins, called IP Photoresins.
3D printing diffractive optics
在正在进行的光子激光世界2019（Booth A3.325）在慕尼黑，量子X系统是专门为制造衍射光学元素（DOE）设计的。这些微型光学设备用于材料的激光处理领域，可以准确控制激光的路径和“形状”。mICRO-Optics也用于激光扫描和基于激光的药物治疗中。
制造业最常见的方法之一是基于集成电路的制造过程，最多可能需要十二步。但是，使用Quantum X机器可以直接从CAD到单个步骤打印。根据Nanoscribe,量子X将ideal solution for rapid prototyping of micro-optics, small series production, and R&D.
Technical Specifications
| Printing technology | 两光子灰度光刻（2GL） |
| minimum XY size | 160 – 200 nm (depending on the photoresin used) |
| XY resolution | 400 – 500 nm (depending on the photoresin used) |
| Finest vertical steps | 10 nm |
| 扫描速度 | ≤ 250 mm/s |
| 区域打印速度 | 3 mm²/h typical for diffractive optical elements |
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Featured image shows an SME image of microlens array 3D printed on a Quantum X machine. Image via Nanoscribe.
