Nanoscribe’s Quantum X Offers Free-form Microfabrication

Nanoscribe’s Quantum X is a two-photon grayscale lithography system for maskless microfabrication. Within its housing, prototypes of refractive and diffractive micro-optics, as well as polymer masters, are produced. The system features an industrial form facture with ready-to-use interfaces for process control.

The product uses polymerization technology and is developed for accurate and free-form microfabrication tasks without compromising speed, according to the company. The new system is equipped with three live-view cameras for process control and a resin dispenser. To simplify the changeover between hardware configurations, objective and sample holder recognition run automatically.

Multilevel diffractive optical elements (DOE) can be produced by modulating the laser power in one scanning plane, reducing print time for multi-layer microfabrication. The product’s 2GL processes allow for making single optical elements, arrays with high fill factors of up to 100% and varying shapes such as spherical and aspherical lenses possible in a direct and maskless process.

Quantum X software controls and monitors print jobs in real time and has an interactive touchscreen control panel. Users can check job statuses, adjust process controls and visualize printing in real time. The software provides a wizard that guides engineers and designers through print job creation and accepts greyscale images of arbitrary optical designs.

Laser power modulation and dynamic focus positioning are synchronized at high scanning speeds, enabling full voxel size control along each scanning plane. Quantum X produces simple and complex optical shapes with variable feature heights within each scan field. Discrete and accurate steps, as well as, essentially quasi-continuous topographies, can be printed in one step without the need for several lithography steps or multiple mask fabrication.

The fabrication process enables a range of substrates, including transparent and opaque ones, accepting sizes of up to six-inch wafers. When used with nanoscribephotoresins, users can avoid mask fabrication, spin-coating and pre- or post-baking.