Design and optimization of a light-emitting diode projection micro-stereolithography three-dimensional manufacturing system

• Main Authors: Lee, Howon (Contributor), Fang, Nicholas Xuanlai (Contributor), Zheng, Xiaoyu (Author), Deotte, Joshua (Author), Alonso, Matthew P. (Author), Farquar, George R. (Author), Weisgraber, Todd H. (Author), Gemberling, Steven (Author), Spadaccini, Christopher M. (Author)
• Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering (Contributor)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Institute of Physics (AIP), 2013-04-09T17:46:36Z.
• Subjects: Article
• Online Access: Get fulltext

The rapid manufacture of complex three-dimensional micro-scale components has eluded researchers for decades. Several additive manufacturing options have been limited by either speed or the ability to fabricate true three-dimensional structures. Projection micro-stereolithography (PμSL) is a low cost, high throughput additive fabrication technique capable of generating three-dimensional microstructures in a bottom-up, layer by layer fashion. The PμSL system is reliable and capable of manufacturing a variety of highly complex, three-dimensional structures from micro- to meso-scales with micro-scale architecture and submicron precision. Our PμSL system utilizes a reconfigurable digital mask and a 395 nm light-emitting diode (LED) array to polymerize a liquid monomer in a layer-by-layer manufacturing process. This paper discusses the critical process parameters that influence polymerization depth and structure quality. Experimental characterization and performance of the LED-based PμSL system for fabricating highly complex three-dimensional structures for a large range of applications is presented.