Two Photon Polymerization Equipment

• Subject Area: Materials Science
• Term: Funded in 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 537082733

Two-Photon Lithography (TPL) is a versatile process enabling the fabrication of objects with resolutions in the sub-micrometre range by utilizing nonlinear absorption of femtosecond laser pulses to induce cross-linking with a high spatial and temporal control. The high-resolution nature of TPL allows to create complex structures that leverage their geometry for performance. Such structures include support structures for tissue engineering (hydrogels), organs-on-chips (human tissue models), microfluidics (chemistry, biology, medicine, physics), materials technology (multimaterial structuring), microelectronic and mechanical systems (MEMS, BioMEMS), photonics (crystals, waveguides), microlenses, and prototypes for nano-characterization tools (AFM tips, Microneedles). The range of applications as well as the industrial applicability of this technology is a matter of throughput, i.e. the ability to create volumes of several cubic milimeters or even centimeters while preserving sub-micrometre features. With the recent advances in the field of TPL, this has now become possible enabling a wide range of applications with industrial relevance. Limitations in set-up and material properties have been overcome enabling both large (centimetre scale) and small (sub-micrometre scale) 3D structures in the same fabrication cycle within a short time. The Technical University of Munich is most interested in applications within biointerfaces, cell culture and electrode fabrication for fuel cells and electrolysers, whereas a wide range of other research endeavours can be pursued with the availability of the equipment.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Zweiphotonenlithographieanlage
• Instrumentation Group: 0910 Geräte für Ionenimplantation und Halbleiterdotierung
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität München (TUM)
• Leader: Professor Dr. Jan Torgersen