Multiphoton Micro- and Nanoscale Additive–Subtractive Hybrid Manufacturing Platform

Product Overview

The multiphoton micro‑ and nanoscale additive–subtractive hybrid manufacturing platform is an integrated ultrafast 3D microfabrication system developed by Femtika and distributed in China by Beijing Yunshang Intelligent Manufacturing Technology Co., Ltd. Centered on femtosecond laser technology, the platform integrates two core processes: multiphoton polymerization (MPP) for additive manufacturing and selective laser etching (SLE) for subtractive manufacturing. It can also be extended to perform a variety of micro‑ and nanoscale fabrication operations, including refractive index modification of transparent materials, micro‑ablation, surface structuring, and micro‑welding, making it a modular, all‑in‑one system tailored for precision manufacturing at the micro‑ and nanoscale. The platform enables three‑dimensional structural fabrication across scales from the nanometer to the millimeter, using materials such as polymers, fused silica, and borosilicate glass. It can produce mesoscale structures whose overall dimensions exceed the size of the fundamental feature scale; for example, by increasing the objective’s working distance, it can fabricate a 1 mm × 1 mm × 1 mm three‑dimensional helical structure, with a height far surpassing the objective’s nominal working distance of 0.19 mm.

As a laser‑nanofabrication workstation, this platform supports a variety of sample holders, including microscope slides, wafers, and optical fibers. It can be paired with different optimized processing heads to meet diverse laser‑based fabrication requirements, satisfying both the customized R&D needs for micro‑ and nano‑structures in scientific research and the high‑precision, low‑volume production demands of industrial applications. It provides an integrated solution for fabricating functional devices in fields such as micro‑ and nano‑electromechanical systems, micro‑optics, microfluidics, and biomedicine, enabling the synergistic integration of additive and subtractive manufacturing processes in the micro‑ and nanofabrication domain and making the monolithic fabrication of complex micro‑ and nano‑structures a reality.

Product operating principle

The operating principle of the multiphoton micro‑ and nanoscale additive–subtractive hybrid manufacturing platform revolves around the interaction between femtosecond lasers and materials. By leveraging the synergistic operation of two core processes—additive manufacturing and subtractive machining—it enables the fabrication of micro‑ and nanostructures. Both processes employ laser direct writing for precise, position‑controlled fabrication and can be switched on the same system through parameter adjustments. Moreover, additional processing capabilities are realized by exploiting the nonlinear interactions and material‑modification effects induced by the laser.

Multiphoton polymerization (MPP), as an additive manufacturing technique, is a photopolymerization method based on direct laser writing. Its principle relies on the nonlinear absorption of photons: polymerization occurs exclusively at the laser focus, enabling sub‑micron‑scale precision in part fabrication. The process comprises three steps: first, a polymer–photoinitiator mixture is prepared and drop‑cast onto a glass slide, followed by pre‑baking to form a photoresist layer; next, femtosecond laser writing is employed, with the beam tightly focused at specific locations on the sample; upon absorbing multiple photons, the photoinitiator becomes excited, triggering photopolymerization that hardens the polymer material within the irradiated region; finally, the sample is immersed in an organic solvent, where development removes the unreacted photoresist, yielding the desired three‑dimensional polymeric micro‑ and nanostructures. Throughout this process, the laser’s high spatial resolution ensures that polymerization is confined to the focal volume, allowing the fabrication of arbitrarily complex 3D geometries, while controlling laser parameters enables fine-tuning of fabrication accuracy.

Selective Laser Etching (SLE), a subtractive manufacturing process, operates on a two-step principle—“laser modification plus chemical etching”—and is specifically designed for the micro‑ and nano‑fabrication of glass materials. In the first step, ultrashort femtosecond laser pulses are used to precisely modify the bulk of glass materials such as fused silica and Borofloat 33, with direct laser writing into designated internal locations to alter the material’s chemical composition and structural properties, thereby creating an etching rate contrast between the modified and unmodified regions. In the second step, the laser‑modified glass is immersed in a chemical etchant; the modified areas are preferentially etched, while the unmodified regions retain their original structure, ultimately yielding mechanically stable, highly precise three-dimensional glass micro‑ and nanostructures. This process allows direct import of CAD‑designed toolpaths, enabling the accurate fabrication of internal microchannels and microcomponents within the glass. Post‑etching, the sidewall roughness of the trenches can be as low as 100 nm (RMS), with a bottom roughness of approximately 200–300 nm (RMS), ensuring exceptional structural precision.

The platform’s advanced fabrication processes are likewise enabled by the unique properties of femtosecond lasers. For instance, refractive-index modification in transparent materials leverages laser irradiation to tailor the material’s internal optical characteristics; micro‑ablation achieves precise material removal via the laser’s thermal effects; and surface structuring employs laser control to create micro‑ and nano‑scale textures on material surfaces. Each process relies on finely tuned laser parameters and precise positioning to deliver distinct processing outcomes.

Product Advantages and Key Features

The multi-photon micro‑ and nano‑scale additive–subtractive hybrid manufacturing platform boasts the integration of additive and subtractive processes, while delivering high resolution, broad material compatibility, exceptional flexibility, and superior machining accuracy. Its modular design allows for scalable customization to meet diverse application requirements. Compared with conventional single‑mode micro‑ and nano‑fabrication systems, it exhibits distinct advantages in processing capability, versatility of use cases, and part‑forming quality, as evidenced across multiple dimensions, including process technology, precision, materials, structural design, and overall equipment architecture.

In terms of process integration, the platform combines additive and subtractive manufacturing techniques. A single system can simultaneously support multiphoton‑polymerization additive fabrication and selective laser etching subtractive fabrication, and can be further extended to enable refractive index modification, micro‑ablation, and other processes. This eliminates the need to transfer samples between different machines, thereby avoiding positioning errors and structural damage during sample handling and streamlining the fabrication workflow for complex micro‑ and nano‑devices. Moreover, additive and subtractive processes can be used in tandem: for example, glass microfluidic channels can first be fabricated via selective laser etching, followed by the incorporation of polymer filters within these channels through multiphoton polymerization, achieving monolithic integration of glass and polymer components and enabling the fabrication of micro‑ and nano‑devices with more sophisticated functionalities.

In terms of machining accuracy and forming performance, the platform delivers nanometer‑level additive manufacturing precision and micrometer‑level subtractive machining precision. The two‑photon polymerization process achieves a minimum XY feature size of 150 nm and a minimum surface roughness of Ra < 20 nm, enabling seamless, error‑free precision fabrication—including ultra‑fine structures such as photonic crystals with single‑line widths below 200 nm. Meanwhile, the selective laser etching process offers a minimum feature size of approximately 1–2 μm, with smallest microhole diameters down to 5 μm and aspect ratios exceeding 1:200, allowing the fabrication of glass structures with very high length‑to‑diameter ratios. Post‑processing surface roughness is controllable, and inter‑part clearances can be kept below 10 μm, thereby minimizing friction and ensuring the motion stability of micro‑mechanical components. Furthermore, the platform can produce mesoscale structures whose overall dimensions exceed those of the fundamental features by several orders of magnitude, thus overcoming the traditional trade‑off between feature scale and global size in micro‑ and nano‑fabrication.

In terms of material compatibility, the platform supports a wide range of materials: additive manufacturing processes can accommodate polymers such as SZ2080, SU‑8, organic–inorganic hybrid photopolymers, elastomers, and proteins, as well as biodegradable polymers, thereby meeting the diverse material‑property requirements of different applications. Subtractive manufacturing, on the other hand, is primarily suited to glass materials like fused silica and Borofloat 33, which exhibit biocompatibility, chemical inertness, and optical transparency—making them ideal for fabricating microfluidic and microoptical devices. The processing parameters for each material have been meticulously optimized, allowing users to freely select and combine materials based on device‑functional needs, thus opening up greater design flexibility.

In terms of design and processing flexibility, the platform employs a modular architecture, supporting a wide range of sample holders—including microscope slides, wafers, and optical fibers—and can be paired with various fabrication heads to optimize for diverse laser‑based applications. It accommodates samples of differing shapes and sizes. Processing speed balances precision and throughput: multiphoton polymerization achieves a maximum fabrication rate of 30 mm/s, while selective laser etching offers a writing speed of 50 mm/s, meeting the efficiency demands of both research and small‑batch production. Moreover, the multiphoton polymerization process enables the creation of surfaces with varying qualities and functionalities on a single structure, tailored to specific application requirements. Micro‑optical components can also be directly fabricated on functional elements such as fiber tips, enabling integrated device manufacturing. Processing paths can be imported directly from CAD designs, allowing for the precise reconstruction of complex three‑dimensional structures.

Furthermore, the platform’s fabrication process offers excellent controllability: by fine-tuning parameters such as laser power, scanning speed, and focusing conditions, the dimensions and dimensional accuracy of the fabricated structures can be precisely regulated. Moreover, the process is non-contact, thereby eliminating the mechanical damage associated with conventional manufacturing methods and ensuring the integrity and stability of the micro‑ and nanostructures.

Product Application Areas and Use Cases

The multiphoton micro‑ and nanoscale additive–subtractive manufacturing platform, with its capabilities for multi‑process integration, high precision, and versatile material processing, has been successfully applied across numerous fields, including micro‑optics, micro‑mechanics, microfluidics, biomedicine, and photonics. It enables the fabrication of a wide range of functional micro‑ and nano‑devices, while providing a core manufacturing solution for research and production in areas such as lab‑on‑a‑chip systems, in vitro models, and photonic devices. Several representative application cases have already achieved mature structural formation and functional validation.

In the field of micro‑optics, it is possible to fabricate devices such as microprisms, microlenses, and photonic crystals. For example, a microprism with a grating on one side can be directly printed onto the tip of an optical fiber to enable filtering and detection of optical signals. Photonic crystals can achieve feature widths below 200 nm, and their periodic structures can be used to modulate light paths, meeting the fabrication requirements of photonic devices. In the realm of micro‑mechanics, micro‑components such as Geneva wheels, three‑dimensional mesoscopic springs, and glass screw threads can be produced. The Geneva wheel is integrally formed from a single piece of glass, eliminating the need for assembly, with gaps smaller than 10 μm, enabling smooth intermittent rotational motion. Meanwhile, the three‑dimensional mesoscopic spring exhibits excellent flexibility, making it well suited for applications in micro‑robots, precision instruments, and other contexts.

In the fields of microfluidics and biomedicine, a core application is the fabrication of lab-on-a-chip devices. A representative example is the liver‑on‑a‑chip, which employs selective laser etching to create glass microfluidic channels, followed by multiphoton polymerization to integrate polymeric filters within these channels. The resulting microfluidic platform—comprising glass channels and polymeric micropillars—enables precise control over cell culture and intercellular interactions, serving as an in vitro liver model for biomedical research. Another notable case is the microfluidic macromolecule separator, where laser ablation is used to fabricate fused silica channels, and multiphoton polymerization integrates a fine 3D filter with 500‑nm pores. This device can separate low‑molecular‑weight and high‑molecular‑weight components from mixed solutions, meeting the demands of next‑generation drug development and manufacturing.

In addition, the platform can fabricate 3D glass nozzles, microfluidic channels, and other devices. The 3D glass nozzles enable precise delivery of high-pressure gases and liquids, while the microfluidic channels, made from fused silica glass, feature a zero taper and low surface roughness, making them well suited for scientific applications such as biochemical research. In the field of photonics, the platform can produce various photonic crystals and photonic devices, leveraging periodic micro- and nanostructures to achieve precise control over light propagation, thereby supporting research in nanophotonics.

3. Key Advantages and Highlights: