CERES printing system: Micron-level metal 3D printing system

I. Overview of the Product

The CERES printing system is a desktop‑level metal micro‑3D printing platform developed by Exaddon for scientific research and micro‑ and nano‑fabrication. Leveraging electrochemical localized deposition, it enables direct fabrication of pure‑metal structures at the micrometer to sub‑micrometer scale, primarily serving universities, research institutes, corporate R&D centers, and other users with demanding needs for prototyping microscale devices. The system features an integrated, standalone design that can be deployed directly in standard laboratory settings, eliminating the need for high‑grade ancillary facilities such as cleanrooms. It operates at room temperature and ambient pressure, allowing the printing of microstructures in a variety of pure metals—including copper, gold, silver, platinum, and nickel—with minimum feature sizes reaching the sub‑micrometer regime. This capability provides unprecedented freedom in fabricating three‑dimensional architectures that are difficult or impossible to achieve through conventional techniques like photolithography, electroplating, or micro‑milling, thereby advancing fields such as microelectronics, MEMS, biomedical devices, high‑frequency components, and materials‑mechanics research. Unlike conventional metal 3D printers, the CERES system requires no lasers, high‑temperature sintering, or post‑processing heat treatments; printed structures can be immediately used for electrical testing, mechanical characterization, device integration, and other downstream experiments, significantly shortening the design‑to‑validation cycle. The system is equipped with a high‑precision motion stage, real‑time optical observation, and a force‑feedback control system, complemented by dedicated CAPA software for model import, path planning, and print monitoring. It supports direct printing on planar substrates, curved surfaces, pre‑patterned chips, and other platforms, and is compatible with existing micro‑ and nano‑fabrication workflows. With its compact footprint, stable operation, and wide range of adjustable parameters, the CERES system is well suited both for fundamental scientific exploration and for rapid iterative development of novel micro‑ and nano‑devices, making it one of the most balanced research‑grade platforms in today’s microscale metal additive manufacturing landscape in terms of precision and practicality.

II. Operating Principle

The CERES printing system operates on the principle of controlled, localized electrochemical deposition. It delivers minute volumes of metal‑ion‑containing electrolyte through a micro‑needle tip channel and applies a weak electric field between the tip and the substrate, enabling in situ reduction of metal ions to solid metallic atoms at designated locations and their layer‑by‑layer accumulation, thereby achieving precise fabrication of three‑dimensional microstructures. The device’s core actuator is an iontip microfluidic printing nozzle: during operation, the nozzle is filled with an electrolyte containing the target metal cations and, under precisely regulated pneumatic pressure, delivers it at a flow rate on the order of picoliters per second to the nozzle tip. A microelectrochemical cell is formed between the nozzle and the conductive substrate; by finely tuning voltage and current, the system induces reduction reactions of metal ions in the electrolyte at specific regions on the substrate surface, generating atomic‑scale metal deposition sites. The system is equipped with a high‑resolution three‑axis motion platform, offering ±250 nm positioning accuracy in the X–Y plane and up to ±5 nm in the Z direction. This enables relative motion between the nozzle and the substrate along trajectories defined by digital models, allowing continuous linking of deposition points to construct linear, planar, and volumetric structures. To ensure printing consistency and structural precision, the system integrates optical monitoring and real‑time force‑feedback modules, which continuously track the tip condition, forces during deposition, and the progress of structural formation, automatically adjusting movement speed, deposition current, and electrolyte flow rate to prevent tip collisions, structural collapse, or dimensional deviations. The entire process takes place at room temperature, without high‑energy heat sources, masks, photoresists, or etching steps. The resulting metallic structures exhibit high density and can be used directly as functional components, eliminating the need for support removal or additional post‑processing. For complex three‑dimensional geometries such as overhangs, bridges, and micro‑springs, the system can fabricate them directly without any supporting scaffolds.

III. Product Advantages and Key Features

The CERES printing system boasts several technology‑driven features tailored to the realities of microscale metal fabrication, delivering stable overall performance and user‑friendly operation while effectively addressing the limitations of existing microfabrication techniques. In terms of precision, the system achieves a minimum feature size below 1 μm, with XY positioning accuracy of ±250 nm and Z‑axis control accuracy of ±5 nm, enabling reliable, repeatable fabrication of complex micron‑scale structures that meet the stringent dimensional‑consistency requirements of microelectronics and sensor devices. Regarding structural freedom, the system supports scaffold‑free three‑dimensional printing, allowing the creation of microsprings, micropillars, microcoils, cantilever beams, porous microlattices, and other architectures—ideal for applications such as materials‑mechanics testing and the development of micro‑mechanical functional components. In terms of materials, the system accommodates direct printing of various pure metals, including copper, gold, silver, platinum, and nickel; the resulting metallic parts exhibit excellent electrical conductivity and mechanical properties, making them suitable for functional applications such as electrical interconnections, electrodes, and shielding structures. The entire process operates at room temperature, causing no thermal damage to flexible substrates, thermosensitive chips, or biocompatible materials, and enabling in‑situ printing of interconnects, microprobes, or reinforcing structures directly on chip surfaces. The equipment features an integrated design, occupies minimal floor space, and is easy to install and commission, making it well suited for standard laboratory use. Its CAPA software interface is intuitive, supporting model import, parameter presetting, and real‑time monitoring of the printing process, thereby lowering the barrier to entry for micro‑ and nano‑scale printing. Consumable usage is dominated by trace amounts of electrolyte, keeping operating costs manageable and eliminating the need for waste‑liquid disposal. Compared with conventional microfabrication methods, CERES eliminates the need for multiple steps such as mask fabrication, photolithography, development, and etching; single‑step design modifications can be rapidly iterated through printing, significantly accelerating the development of research prototypes. Moreover, the system demonstrates robust stability and continuous‑operation capability, meeting the demands of long‑term sample preparation while maintaining good structural consistency—making it particularly well suited for comparative experiments and batch‑scale sample production.

IV. Application Areas and Case Studies

The CERES printing system is primarily used in research fields such as micro‑ and nano‑electronics, MEMS, biomedical engineering, high‑frequency devices, and materials science. It is well suited for applications including the development of microstructural prototypes, in‑situ device repair, chip interconnects, microelectrode fabrication, and the production of specimens for mechanical property testing, and has already been put into practical use at numerous universities and research institutions worldwide. In the microelectronics and RF domains, users can leverage this system to fabricate high‑precision microcoils, miniature antennas, localized interconnect traces, probe tips, and other structures, supporting the development of high‑frequency circuits, sensors, and chip‑testing solutions. The Goethe–Leibniz Terahertz Center’s research team, for instance, has employed this equipment to produce microscale metallic structures, exploring their potential for terahertz‑based devices and providing manufacturing support for next‑generation components in the high‑frequency communications field. In the biomedical and neural‑interface sectors, the system can fabricate microneedles and microelectrode arrays with diameters ranging from a few micrometers to tens of micrometers, enabling minimally invasive diagnostics and neural‑signal recording; its gentle processing conditions facilitate integration with biocompatible materials. In materials science, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) has utilized CERES to print standard mechanical test specimens—such as microcolumns, microbeams, and microlattices—at sub‑micron resolution, thereby establishing a reliable source of benchmark samples for evaluating material strength, fatigue, ductility, and other properties at the microscale. These advances have been applied to fundamental mesoscale mechanics research. In the realm of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and microsystems, institutions like Harvard Medical School have employed the system to print microcoils with diameters as small as approximately 10 μm, supporting the prototyping of miniature actuators, magnetic field sensors, and other devices, thus addressing the challenges of fabricating small‑size, highly uniform coils that are difficult to achieve using conventional methods. Additionally, the system can be used for manufacturing conductive features within microfluidic chips, locally repairing failure points in chips, and rapidly validating novel micro‑ and nanoscale sensors. Universities such as Shenzhen University and Georgia Tech have also adopted it for research projects related to micro‑ and nanomanufacturing, spanning areas like micro‑mechanics, micro‑thermodynamics, and flexible electronics. On the corporate R&D front, companies like AXON’ CABLE SAS capitalize on its rapid prototyping capabilities to shorten the development cycle of new microdevices and reduce upfront investments in tooling and process development. Overall, with its hallmark attributes of high precision, exceptional flexibility, and low‑temperature‑friendly processing, the CERES system has emerged as a practical microfabrication platform that bridges basic research and device engineering.