MRI: Acquisition of a Nanoscribe 3D Laser Lithography System

这项重大研究仪器提案将支持购买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打印技术的主要局限之一是它们仅限于约15微米的分辨率。这是一个严重的问题，因为许多器件概念，实验研究方法和新兴材料特性只有在能够制造具有纳米级特征的3D结构的情况下才成为可能。通过打印具有比人类血细胞直径小40倍以上、比其他现有3D打印机小100倍的特征的结构，收购Nanoscribe 3D打印机将使大量不同的新研究成为可能，其影响范围从航空航天到生物医学应用，例如：新的超轻材料，可定制的能量吸收，或亚细胞纳米结构的新的临床治疗和组织工程。该计划还将支持一系列专注于纳米级3D打印的新教育活动，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，面内分辨率为150 nm，面外分辨率为1微米，将使一系列新的综合性和变革性研究成为可能。新兴的材料特性源于微观结构的几何形状将被研究，如动态可调性或组合的低密度，高刚度，高阻尼。将探索用于生物测定和组合化学的新型3D微流体各向异性棘轮输送系统。Nanoscribe仪器将允许对3D纳米形貌对细胞发育，功能和力学的影响进行前所未有的调查。 新的超紧凑的光束整形系统将被研究，包括3D衍射光学陷阱和超颖表面。Nanoscribe仪器还将作为一个平台，研究用于纳米级3D打印的新型光固化树脂，扩大可打印材料库，实现更高分辨率的打印。新的微型飞行机器人概念将被研究，利用三维亚微型结构元素。最后，Nanoscribe仪器还将开启3D打印的研究，用于耳鼻喉科显微外科应用，以改善听力。正如领导该计划的17名高级人员的不同研究目标所证明的那样，这种最先进的3D纳米纤维能力的获得将成为一种主要的区域资源，并导致太平洋西北地区社区的广泛新研究。

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.