Real three-dimensional microstructures fabricated by photopolymerization of resins through two-photon absorption

Effective energy windows for two-photon absorption (TPA) photopolymerization of resins were investigated and, with a properly selected laser pulse energy, exquisite three-dimensional (3D) microstructures with submicrometer spatial resolution were achieved. The results show the inherent utility of TPA in the fabrication of real 3D patterns. In particular, we propose and utilize a resin pre-exposure technique by which freely movable components affixed to an axle are built, demonstrating a new application of TPA in laser microfabrication. (C) 2000 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 220.3740, 220.4000, 230.4000, 160.4330, 190.4180, 160.5470.