Building and measuring with light: An introduction to advanced DLP projection systems for 3D printing, metrology and lithography.
Gerold Aschinger
PhD, Head of Optics, InVision Technologies
Karine Blandel
Senior Manager Strategic and Technology Partnerships, InVision Technologies
Where and when
Thursday, October 17, 2019
11:00am – 1:00pm
12-0168, MIT.nano (basement level), Building 12
60 Vassar Street (rear)
Cambridge, MA
Details
In this talk, InVision experts will discuss the principles of DLP projection systems and how this technology is advancing innovation in 3D-printing, metrology and lithography. DLP stands for Digital Light Processing, a digital imaging device invented by Texas Instruments in the 1980s.
DLP projection systems are based on digital micromirror devices (DMD), which are composed of millions of micromirrors, each on the order of 10 μm in width with an individually controllable tilting mechanism. Each mirror represents one pixel in the projected image. DLP is used in various display technologies and is the most widespread technology for digital cinema projection. Based on a long tradition in optics, InVision has been designing and manufacturing DLP projection systems since its creation in 2000, first for digital cinemas and more recently for 3D-printing, metrology and lithography. The latter applications require more advanced optics and illumination sources in the UV range. The configuration of the projector is critical to achieving the optimal resolution and light intensity necessary for any given application:
- The choice of DMD is key when working with UV light sources. Not all DMDs were conceived to withstand shorter wavelengths.
- The optical system must be optimized for high uniformity, low distortion, maximum light transmission, stable light intensity, etc.
InVision experts will explain how those parameters can be adjusted for 3D-printing, metrology or lithography. They will also present recent and upcoming advancements, which should be of particular interest to materials scientists and researchers within bioprinting or medical microdevices fabrication. In-Vision recently designed an optical system able to achieve images with 2um pixel size, enabling more precise and complex geometries in 3D-printing.
After the talk, InVision experts would like to engage with the audience, answer questions, and discuss potential applications in materials science, bioprinting, 3D-printing, nanofabrication, metrology, and so forth.