The ability to fabricate small scale structures enables harnessing novel scale dependent phenomena. For example, micro- and nano-scale structures that take advantage of subwavelength manipulation of light or strengthening of materials at small scales have led to optical and mechanical metamaterials with superior performance. Additive manufacturing (AM) significantly expands the design space by enabling three-dimensional (3D) control of geometry and material properties on the scale of the individual building blocks. Large 3D structures with micro- and nano-scale features are being increasingly pursued as engineered materials to improve healthcare, transportation, and computing. For instance, such 3D structures can enable quantum information transfer in integrated photonics devices, high-sensitivity chemical sensors, fast-charging batteries, miniaturized optics such as lenses mounted on optical fibers, synthetic biomaterials for cell therapies, and micro-robotics for drug delivery.
Although the utility of engineered 3D materials with micro- and nano-scale features has been broadly demonstrated at the laboratory scale, their societal impact has been limited by the inability to rapidly and inexpensively manufacture these materials. A key limitation is the low manufacturing readiness of current micro- and nano-scale AM processes. Factors that contribute to the low manufacturing readiness include low throughput, poor quality, small material set, limited process knowledge, and lack of high-resolution tools and techniques for process monitoring and control. Solving these challenges will require overcoming those manufacturing tradeoffs that become dominant at small length scales, such as rate vs resolution and cost vs precision. Doing so will lead to a set of mature micro- and nano-scale AM processes that can unlock the potential of novel scale-dependent properties for societal benefit.
This Article Collection of Virtual and Physical Prototyping entitled “Micro- and Nano-Scale Additive Manufacturing” focuses on advances in this emerging research field at the intersection of AM and micro- and nano-technology and highlights achieving scalable and affordable manufacturing.
The relevant subtopics and desired focus from manuscript submissions include but are not limited to:
- Manufacturing scale up via high-throughput printing or defect-free printing over large volumes.
- Industrial-scale applications of micro- and nano-scale AM.
- Novel AM processes with features smaller than 100 μm and superior rate, quality, cost, or materials.
- Novel materials, material design, and/or multi-material capabilities for micro- and nano-scale AM.
- Prediction, monitoring, and control of quality metrics, such as uniformity, repeatability, or defects.
- In-situ process metrology for measurement of geometry, process conditions, or material properties.
- Process modeling for the prediction of printed geometry, material properties, or performance metrics.
- Machine learning or data science-based approaches for process modeling, prediction, monitoring, or control.
- Integration of micro- and nano-scale AM processes with other manufacturing processes.
- Assembly of additively manufactured micro- and nano-scale structures with macroscale objects.
Article types include Original Research Article, Short Communications, Reviews, Perspective
Sourabh Saha is an Assistant Professor in the G. W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his Masters and Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. Prior to joining Georgia Tech, he was a Research Engineer at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. His research focuses on overcoming the scientific and technological barriers that prevent scaling up advanced manufacturing processes, especially for generation of complex micro and nanoscale 3D structures. He received the NSF CAREER award and the SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer award in 2021.
Disclosure Statement: Dr. Saha is a co-inventor on multiple issued patents and pending patent applications in the field of micro and nanoscale additive manufacturing. The patent rights are assigned to either Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC or Georgia Tech Research Corporation.
