Researchers at MIT and the University of Texas at Austin have unveiled the first chip-based 3D printer. The device, the size of a millimeter-scale photonic chip, uses reconfigurable light beams to cure resin into solid shapes.
The chip steers light with an array of tiny optical antennas, projecting into a specially formulated resin that solidifies upon exposure to the light’s wavelength. This integration of silicon photonics and photochemistry allows the device to create two-dimensional patterns in seconds.
The research team envisions a future system where a photonic chip emits a 3D hologram of light, curing an entire object in one step. This could enable portable, on-the-go 3D printing applications for medical device components and rapid prototyping.
“This system is completely rethinking what a 3D printer is. It is no longer a big box sitting on a bench in a lab creating objects, but something that is handheld and portable,” said senior author Jelena Notaros.
“It is exciting to think about the new applications that could come out of this and how the field of 3D printing could change.”
The chip utilizes liquid crystal modulators for efficient, compact control of light amplitude and phase. This collaboration led to a device capable of forming intricate shapes rapidly, leveraging advanced photochemistry and silicon photonics.
Future efforts aim to develop a chip emitting a hologram of visible light for volumetric 3D printing in a single step. This work received support from the U.S. National Science Foundation and other funding sources.
Source: news.mit.edu