First time additively manufactured advanced ceramics by using two-photon polymerization for powder processing

Abstract

Methods and materials: are presented here, which enable the manufacturing of fine structures using a 3D-printing method known as two-photon-polymerization (2PP). As traditional photolithography methods for structuring ceramic slurries do not function with 2PP, due to light scattering on ceramic particles, a novel water-based photoresist with high ceramic loading of extremely well dispersed ceramic nano particles was developed. This photoresist is basically a ceramic slurry containing a photocurable agent and a photoinitiator to be crosslinkable with the 780 ​nm wavelength femtosecond laser light source of the 2PP machine. It is demonstrated that it is possible to gain a highly transparent and low viscous slurry suitable for 2PP processing. This work shows the development of the slurry, first printing results and the post-printing processes required to form three dimensional ceramic microstructures consisting of alumina toughened zirconia (ATZ).

Keywords

• Two photon polymerization
• Alumina toughened zirconia
• Additive manufacturing