Search

We demonstrate that black silicon (b-Si) made by dry plasma etching is a promising substrate for laser three-dimensional (3D) micro/nano-polymerization. High aspect ratio Si-needles, working as sacrificial support structures, have flexibility required to relax interface stresses between substrate and the polymerized micro-/nano- objects. Surface of b-Si can be made electrically conductive by metal deposition and, at the same time, can preserve low optical reflectivity beneficial for polymerization by direct laser writing. 3D laser polymerization usually performed at the irradiation conditions close to the dielectric breakdown is possible on non-reflective and not metallic surfaces. Here we show that low reflectivity and high metallic conductivity are not counter- exclusive properties for laser polymerization. Electrical conductivity of substrate and its permeability in liquids are promising for bio- and electroplating applications.

Three-dimensional (3D) micro/nano-structuring of photo-resists is systematically studied at the close-to-dielectric- breakdown irradiance. It is demonstrated that avalanche absorption is playing a major part in free electron generation and chemical bond breaking at these conditions. The steps of photo-initiation and chemical bond breaking in propagation of polymerization are altered as compared with photo-polymerization at low-irradiance and one-photon stereo-lithography. The avalanche dominates radical generation and promotion of polymerization at tight focusing and a high approximately TW/cm(2) irradiance. The rates of electron generation by two-photon absorption and avalanche are calculated for the experimental conditions. Simulation results are corroborated by 3D polymerization in three resists with different photo-initiators at two different wavelengths and pulse durations. The smallest feature sizes of 3D polymerized logpile structures are consistent with spectral dependencies of the two photon nonlinearities. Implications of these findings for achieving sub-100 nm resolution in 3D structuring of photo-polymers are presented., ((c) 2010 Optical Society of America.)

A multi-photon polymerization system has been designed based on a pulsed irradiation light source (diode-pumped solid state femtosecond laser Yb:KGW, 300 fs, 1030 nm, 1-200 kHz) in combination with large working area and high precision linear motor driven stages (100x100x50 mm3). The system is intended for high resolution and throughput 3D micro- and nanofabrication and enables manufacturing the polymeric templates up to 1 cm2 areas with sub-micrometer resolution. These can be used for producing 3D artificial polymeric scaffolds to be applied for growing cells, specifically, in the tissue engineering. The bio-compatibility of different acrylate, hybrid organic-inorganic and biodegradable polymeric materials is evaluated experimentally in vitro. Variously sized and shaped polymeric scaffolds of biocompatible photopolymers with intricate 3D geometry were successfully fabricated. Proliferation tests for adult rabbit myogenic stem cells have shown the applicability of artificial scaffolds in biomedicine practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work, we applied a constructed multi-photon polymerization system based on diode-pumped solid state femtosecond Yb:KGW laser used as pulsed irradiation light source (300fs, 1030nm, 200kHz) in combination with large area high sample translation velocity (up to 300mm/s) linear motor-driven stages (100×100×50mm3) designed for high resolution and throughput 3D micro/nanofabrication. It enables rapid prototyping out of most polymers up to cm in scale with sub-micrometer spatial resolution. This can be used for production of three-dimensional artificial polymeric scaffolds applied for cell growth and expansion experiments as well as tissue engineering. Biocompatibilities of different acrylate, hybrid organic–inorganic and biodegradable polymeric materials were evaluated experimentally in vitro. Various in size and form scaffolds of biocompatible photopolymers were successfully fabricated having intricate 3D geometry, thus demonstrating the potential of the applied method. Adult rabbit myogenic stem cell proliferation tests show artificial scaffolds to be applicable for biomedical practice. Additionally, a micromolding technique was used for a rapid multiplication of adequate laser manufactured structures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]