Search
Menu
CASTECH INC - New Building the Bridge of Light

Tabletop 3-D System to Print in Glass

Facebook X LinkedIn Email
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands, May 13, 2010 — Femtoprint, a new European project, will begin this month with the hope of designing a convenient 3-D laser printer that will print microstructures in glass. With this "femtoprinter," the manufacture of microstructures would no longer be the exclusive realm of big enterprises, according to the project’s coordinator, Dr. Yves Bellouard of the department of mechanical engineering at the University of Technology in Eindhoven.


Dr. Yves Bellouard. (Image: Bart van Overbeeke)


Microsystems are minuscule machines, hardly visible with the naked eye. They often contain both mechanical and electric components and are used to measure signals, or to drive components. Increasing numbers of devices contain microsystems, like the accelerometers incorporated into laptops. These devices detect immediately when a laptop is falling and ensure that the hard disk is prepared for a shock, thus preventing loss of data. Another well-known microsystem is the so-called lab-on-a-chip, which can test a drop of blood, urine or saliva for pathogens or drugs.

The manufacture of microsystems requires big, expensive and energy-guzzling machines as well as a special cleanroom. Bellouard holds this to be one of the reasons why the development of microsystems is relatively slow – only big companies have the requisite resources. Moreover, an investment does not become profitable until the market needs great quantities of these microsystems. This implies that small, innovative enterprises and applications that are too specialized hardly stand a chance.

Cognex Corp. - Smart Sensor 3-24 GIF MR

Bellouard uses an alternative – the femtosecond laser with which he applies three-dimensional patterns in glass. The properties of the glass change in the areas that are exposed to the laser light, depending on the intensity of that light. Thus, the refractive index of the material, an important optical characteristic, can be adjusted. As a result, the selected pattern becomes a kind of road network for the conduction of light. This finding may be applied in optical computer chips, for instance, but also in optical motion sensors.

In addition to the optical properties, the laser light can also influence the chemical properties of the glass, particularly its sensitivity to acids. The applied three-dimensional pattern can then simply be etched away in one go, whereas conventional methods still build up the patterns layer by layer. And as the pattern is applied in the interior of the glass, there is no contact with the air, so there is no cleanroom required. Bellouard and his colleagues have already proved that this method enables them to make the basis for a lab-on-a-chip.

An important goal of Femtoprint is to reduce the required laser, which at present still occupies a laboratory table, to the size of a shoebox. The French laser manufacturer Amplitude Systèmes will be responsible for this part of the project. There are a number of French, Swiss, German and English partners involved as well. Bellouard's group will focus mainly on the research into the effects of the laser light on "fused silica," the high-grade glass that is used for the microsystems.

For more information, visit:  http://w3.tue.nl/nl/ 



Published: May 2010
Glossary
cleanroom
An area in which airborne particulates can be monitored and controlled so that given size particles do not exceed a specified concentration, thereby eliminating potential dysfunctions in gyroscopes, ball bearings and other materials and lubricants.
fused silica
Glass consisting of almost pure silicon dioxide (SiO2). Also called vitreous silica. Frequently used in optical fibers and windows.
lab-on-a-chip
A lab-on-a-chip (LOC) is a miniaturized device that integrates various laboratory functions and capabilities onto a single, compact chip. Also known as microfluidic devices, lab-on-a-chip systems are designed to perform a variety of tasks traditionally carried out in conventional laboratories, but on a much smaller scale. These devices use microfabrication techniques to create channels, chambers, and other structures that facilitate the manipulation of fluids, samples, and reactions at the...
accelerometersAmplitude SystèmesBiophotonicscleanroomDr. Yves BellouardEuropeFemtoprintfemtoprinterfemtosecond lasersfused silicaglass microsystemslab-on-a-chiplaptopslaser lightoptical computer chipsoptical motion sensorOpticsResearch & TechnologySensors & DetectorsTabletop 3-D Laser Printerthe Netherlandsthree-dimentional patterns in glassUniversity of Tehcnology EindhoveLasers

We use cookies to improve user experience and analyze our website traffic as stated in our Privacy Policy. By using this website, you agree to the use of cookies unless you have disabled them.