A unified multiscale 3D printer combining single-photon Tomographic Volumetric Additive Manufacturing and Two-Photon Polymerization

Abstract

Single-photon polymerization ensures rapid photopolymerization of centimeter-scale structures with features on the order of tens of micrometers, whereas 2PP provides sub-micrometer features at sub-millimeter scales. Existing hybrid approaches combining these techniques typically rely on stitched or layer-by-layer fabrication and often require separate printing platforms, making mesoscale manufacturing time-consuming. Here, we introduce a hybrid unified 3D printer that leverages the complementary strengths of both printing mechanisms to bridge this scale resolution-fabrication time gap. We propose integrating 2PP for high-resolution, localized spatial control with single-photon TVAM for enabling rapid, high-throughput 3D fabrication. In this approach, TVAM first forms millimeter-scale volumetric structures attached on a glass rod, via overprinting, which is then accessible, on the same platform, for subsequent high-resolution 2PP. Without needing to change the photoresin or introducing intermediate post-processing steps, we proceed to demonstrate finely printed structures via 2PP, fabricated both inside (embedded within) and on the surface of the millimeter-scale 3D objects printed with TVAM. Here, TVAM contributes in two distinct ways: by generating a pre-polymerized volume that facilitates subsequent 2PP, and by directly driving layer-less volumetric polymerization in designated regions within seconds. We experimentally demonstrate that this dual-mode strategy provides a mesoscale approach spanning four orders of magnitude in scale for rapid fabrication of millimeter-scale structures featuring 830 nm details. For applications such as micro-optics, biomedical scaffolds and tissue engineering, tens-of-micrometer features are sufficient across the majority of the volume, with higher resolution confined to localized functional regions.