MRI: Acquisition of a Nanoscribe 3D Laser Lithography System

该主要研究仪器提案将支持获得具有纳米级分辨率的三维（3D）打印机。3D打印的出现为研究人员提供了前所未有的实现和测试新概念的能力，使3D原型的简单快速制造成为可能。然而，几乎所有现有3D打印技术的主要限制之一是它们被限制在大约15微米的分辨率。这是一个严重的问题，因为许多设备概念、实验研究方法和新兴材料特性只有在制造具有纳米级特征的3D结构的能力下才成为可能。通过打印比人类血细胞直径小40倍以上的结构，比其他现有的3D打印机小100倍，Nanoscribe 3D打印机的收购将使大量不同的新研究成为可能，影响范围从航空航天到生物医学应用，例如：可用于能量吸收的新型超轻材料，或用于新临床治疗和组织工程的亚细胞纳米结构。该项目还将支持一系列以纳米级3D打印为重点的新教育活动，范围从K-12到研究生水平，这将有助于培养未来的STEM劳动力，并增加代表性不足的学生的参与。Nanoscribe 3D打印机的面内分辨率为150纳米，面外分辨率为1微米，将使一系列新的综合和变革性研究成为可能。由微观几何结构产生的材料特性将被研究，如动态可调性或低密度、高刚度和高阻尼的组合。新型三维微流体各向异性棘轮输送系统的生物分析和组合化学将被探索。Nanoscribe仪器将允许前所未有的研究三维纳米形貌对细胞发育、功能和力学的影响。将研究新的超紧凑光束整形系统，包括三维衍射光学陷阱和超表面。Nanoscribe仪器还将作为研究纳米级3D打印的新型光固化树脂的平台，以扩展可打印材料库并实现更高分辨率的打印。新的微尺度飞行机器人概念将研究利用三维亚微尺度结构元素。最后，Nanoscribe仪器也将开启3D打印在耳鼻喉显微外科应用的研究，以改善听力。正如领导该项目的17名高级人员的不同研究目标所证明的那样，获得这种最先进的3D纳米制造能力将是一个主要的区域资源，并在更大的太平洋西北地区带来广泛的新研究。

This Major Research Instrumentation proposal will support the acquisition of a three-dimensional (3D) printer with nanoscale resolution. The advent of 3D printing has provided researchers with an unprecedented ability to realize and test new concepts, by enabling the simple and rapid fabrication of 3D prototypes. However, one of the major limitations of nearly all existing 3D printing techniques, is they are limited to resolutions of about 15 microns. This is a severe issue, as many device concepts, experimental research approaches, and emergent material properties only become possible with the capability to fabricate 3D structures with nanoscale features. By printing structures with features over 40 times smaller than the diameter of a human blood cell and 100 times smaller than other existing 3D printers, the acquisition of a Nanoscribe 3D printer will enable a large and diverse array of new research with impacts ranging from aerospace to biomedical applications, such as: new ultra-light materials that can be tailored for energy absorption, or sub-cellular nanostructures for new clinical therapies and tissue engineering. This program will also support an array of new educational activities focused on nanoscale 3D printing, ranging from K-12 to graduate levels, which will help develop the future STEM workforce and increase the participation of underrepresented students.The Nanoscribe 3D printer, with an in-plane resolution of 150 nm and an out-of-plane resolution of 1 micron, will enable a wide array of new integrative and transformative research. Emergent material properties stemming from microstructural geometry will be studied, such as dynamic tunability or combined low-density, high-stiffness, and high damping. Novel 3D microfluidic anisotropic ratchet conveyor systems for biological assays and combinatorial chemistry will be explored. The Nanoscribe instrument will allow unprecedented investigations into the effect of 3D nanotopography on cell development, function, and mechanics. New ultra-compact optical beam shaping systems will be investigated, including 3D diffractive optical traps and metasurfaces. The Nanoscribe instrument will also serve as a platform to study new photocurable resins for nanoscale 3D printing that expand the library of printable materials and enable higher resolution printing. New microscale flying robotic concepts will be studied that leverage 3D sub- microscale structural elements. Finally, the Nanoscribe instrument will also open the study of 3D printing for use in otolaryngological microsurgical applications to improve hearing. As is demonstrated by the diverse research objectives of the 17 senior personnel leading this program, the acquisition of this state-of-the-art 3D nanofabrication capability will be a major regional resource, and lead to a broad range of new research in the greater Pacific Northwest community.