Multiscale stereolithography using shaped beams

Abstract

Current stereolithography (SL) can fabricate three-dimensional (3D) objects in a singlescale level, e.g., printing macroscale or microscale objects. However, it is difficult for the SL printers to fabricate a 3D macroscale object with microscale features. In the paper, a novel SL-based multiscale fabrication method is presented to address such a problem. The developed SL process can fabricate multiscale features by dynamically changing the shape and size of a laser beam. Different shaped beams are realized by switching apertures with different micropatterns. The laser beam without using micropatterns is used to fabricate macroscale features, while the shaped laser beams based on small apertures are used to fabricate micropatterned features. Accordingly, a tool path planning method for the multiscale fabrication process is presented to build macroscale and microscale features using different layer thicknesses, laser exposure time, and scanning paths. Compared with the conventional SL process using a fixed laser beam size, our process can manufacture multiscale features in a 3D object with fast fabrication speed and good surface quality.