Simultaneous additive and subtractive three-dimensional nanofabrication using integrated two-photon polymerization and multiphoton ablation

An international team of researchers has combined two well-known fabrication techniques to produce intricate three-dimensional nanostructures. Yong Fen Lu and co-workers say that their novel approach could be used to make nanosized devices that are difficult to produce through either technique alone. Both techniques employ a femtosecond laser. The first — two-photon polymerization—is used to ‘draw’ 3D structures in a photocurable polymer. The second—femtosecond laser multiphoton ablation—is used to cut voids, such as channels, in the polymer. Combining these two techniques enables the efficient fabrication of complex three-dimensional nanostructures, such as integrated optical circuits and lab-on-a-chip devices.