Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed a new process for producing transparent quartz glass with high resolution and excellent mechanical properties. The process involves printing micro- and nanometer-scaled quartz glass structures from pure silicon dioxide, using a hybrid organic-inorganic polymer resin as the feedstock material. The process enables the free-form printing of robust, optical-grade glass structures with the resolution needed for visible-light nanophotonics, directly on semiconductor chips.
The Process
The team, headed by Dr. Jens Bauer from KIT’s Institute of Nanotechnology (INT), used a liquid resin consisting of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) molecules, which are small cage-like silicon dioxide molecules equipped with organic functional groups, as the feedstock material. The material was cross-linked via 3D printing to form a 3D nanostructure, and then heated to 650°C in air to remove the organic components. At the same time, the inorganic POSS cages coalesced and formed a continuous quartz glass microstructure or nanostructure. The temperature required for this purpose is only half the temperature needed for processes based on sintering of nanoparticles.
The researchers were able to print various nanostructures, including photonic crystals of free-standing, 97 nm wide beams, parabolic microlenses, and a multi-lens micro objective with nanostructured elements. The structures remain stable even under harsh chemical or thermal conditions.
Applications
The new process opens up many new applications in optics, photonics, and semiconductor technologies. The lower temperature required for the process enables the direct deposition of robust, optical-grade glass structures onto semiconducting chips. The quartz glass produced has excellent mechanical properties and can be processed easily. The process produces structures that remain stable even under harsh chemical or thermal conditions.
The new process could be used in the development of new optical and photonic devices, such as lenses, waveguides, and filters, as well as in the production of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and microfluidic devices. The ability to print micro- and nanometer-scaled quartz glass structures with high resolution and mechanical properties could also benefit the aerospace and automotive industries, as well as the medical and energy sectors.
The new process developed by the researchers at KIT represents a significant breakthrough in the production of quartz glass structures. The ability to print such structures at lower temperatures and with high resolution and mechanical properties opens up many new applications in optics, photonics, and semiconductor technologies, as well as in other industries. The new process could lead to the development of new optical and photonic devices, as well as to the production of MEMS and microfluidic devices. It could also benefit the aerospace and automotive industries, as well as the medical and energy sectors.
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