Projection micro stereolithography based 3D printing and its applications

Projection micro stereolithography (P mu SL) is a high-resolution (up to 0.6 mu m) 3D printing technology based on area projection triggered photopolymerization, and capable of fabricating complex 3D architectures covering multiple scales and with multiple materials. This paper reviews the recent development of the P mu SL based 3D printing technologies, together with the related applications. It introduces the working principle, the commercialized products, and the recent multiscale, multimaterial printing capability of P mu SL as well as some functional photopolymers that are suitable to P mu SL. This review paper also summarizes a few typical applications of P mu SL including mechanical metamaterials, optical components, 4D printing, bioinspired materials and biomedical applications, and offers perspectives on the directions of the further development of P mu SL based 3D printing technology.