ANALYTICAL AND LABORATORY EQUIPMENT 25
3D laser lithography L
Steffen Arnold and Martin Hermatschweiler look at the use of high-precision, piezo- based nanopositioning systems.
aser technology makes it possible to create even very complex three-dimensional
micro- and nanostructures in photosensitive materials.
However, the high precision in three-dimensional ‘laser writing’ required for such applications can only be realised when the materials to be processed are positioned in a correspondingly precise manner.
Nanopositioning Here, piezo-based nanopositioning systems can play out their strengths: they work with repeatability in the nanometre range with response times of less than a millisecond and thereby offer suitable prerequisites for a high reproducibility and precise path control. Te application described in the following is proof of this.
Fig. 1. Laser lithography system of Nanoscribe GmbH, which can be used to produce complex three-dimensional micro- and nano-structures in photosensitive materials. The structure data can be created with conventional CAD software.
Photo: Nanoscribe GmbH
Nanoscribe GmbH,sells laser lithography systems that can be used to realise complex three-dimensional micro- and nano-objects in a fully automatic and reproducible way
with a previously unavailable design flexibility and structure heights up to the millimetre range.
Today, this already benefits numerous applications, eg microstructures can be created via ‘laser writing’ for small pumps and needles or surfaces can be equipped with particular biomimetic characteristics.
Important keywords in this connection are gecko or lotus effect. A typical area of application for 3D laser lithography respectively 3D printing is also the creation of three-dimensional structures for cell biology.
Cell cultivation Tere are limits to classic cell cultivation in a flat Petri dish. Tis is because in natural tissue, cells in an organism are normally in an extra cellular matrix, in other words in a three-dimensional and simultaneously flexible environment in a spatial network. A Petri
dish cannot simulate these real environmental conditions. As a result, its application possibilities are limited.
A remedy is provided by the described method, which has been utilised by scientists at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
Using 3D laser lithography, flexible and freely designed structures can also be created. Tis means that cells can colonize a specially tailored spatial matrix, in other words a scaffold.
Te displayed structure itself consists of 25 µm high posts that are connected with thin rungs at different heights. Tis basic structure consists of a protein-repellent polymer.
In addition, ‘handholds’ or ‘docking sites’ for the cells are located in the middle of the rungs. Te cells can selectively affix here because special adhesive proteins are attached at these positions.
www.scientistlive.com
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