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.
