Voxel tuning refers to the ability to modulate the size of a voxel – the 3D pixel that forms the building blocks of a printed structure – during the fabrication process. Traditional Two-Photon Polymerization (TPP) methods require many layers, using small voxel sizes to maintain precision, but this often leads to long production times. Increasing the voxel size speeds things up but can result in loss of detail or artifacts such as the staircase effect.
With voxel tuning, this trade-off is no longer necessary. The MPO 100 allows you to locally adjust the voxel size as needed, optimizing both speed and accuracy. By reducing the number of layers while maintaining fidelity, fabrication times can be drastically shortened, even up to 50 times faster for certain applications.
How It Works
Voxel tuning is inspired by our Grayscale Lithography technology, notably used in the DWL 66+. By integrating this expertise into the MPO 100, we have created a tool capable of dynamically adjusting voxel dimensions during scanning. This results in fewer layers being required to build up a structure along the z-axis, effectively slashing production time without losing precision.
In one example, a 200 µm lens with a height of 50 µm was produced in just 80 seconds using OrmoComp® – a task that traditionally would have taken much longer with standard TPP methods.
Applications and Opportunities
The MPO 100 with voxel tuning opens up new frontiers for researchers and developers across various industries. From customized micro-optics to intricate mechanical microstructures, this tool is versatile, fast, and precise. Its multi-user design further boosts efficiency by allowing several projects to run in parallel, making it ideal for both research labs and industrial applications.
Key Benefits of Voxel Tuning with the MPO 100
- Faster Fabrication: The MPO 100’s voxel tuning technology significantly cuts down fabrication times. Throughput can be increased by 5x to 50x, especially for flat structures.
- Uncompromised Quality: Despite the speed increase, voxel tuning preserves structural precision, eliminating concerns about accuracy degradation in larger voxels.
- High Resolution: The MPO 100 offers pixel resolutions ranging from 4 nm to 80 nm, enabling you to maintain detailed features and intricate designs.
- High Modulation Rate and Gray Levels: With a max. modulation rate of 25 MHz and 32,768 gray levels, this system provides unmatched versatility for complex 3D microstructures.
Unlock the Potential of Voxel Tuning
Heidelberg Instruments’ MPO 100 is setting a new standard in 3D microfabrication. Whether you are working on rapid prototyping, advanced optics, or other microfabrication projects, voxel tuning can help you accelerate production without sacrificing quality.
