Rapid prototyping of 3D microstructures: A simplified grayscale lithography encoding method using blender
The democratization of fabrication equipment has spurred recent interest in maskless grayscale lithography for both 2D and 3D microfabrication. However, the design of suitable template images remains a challenge. This work presents a simplified method for encoding 3D objects into grayscale image fil...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Micro and Nano Engineering |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590007224000571 |
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| author | Fabrício Frizera Borghi Mohammed Bendimerad Marie-Ly Chapon Tatiana Petithory Laurent Vonna Laurent Pieuchot |
| author_facet | Fabrício Frizera Borghi Mohammed Bendimerad Marie-Ly Chapon Tatiana Petithory Laurent Vonna Laurent Pieuchot |
| author_sort | Fabrício Frizera Borghi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The democratization of fabrication equipment has spurred recent interest in maskless grayscale lithography for both 2D and 3D microfabrication. However, the design of suitable template images remains a challenge. This work presents a simplified method for encoding 3D objects into grayscale image files optimized for grayscale lithography. Leveraging the widely used and open-source 3D modeling software Blender, we developed a robust approach to convert geometric heights into grayscale levels and generate image files through top-view rendering. Our method accurately reproduced the overall shape of simple structures like stairs and ramps compared to the original designs. We extended this approach to complex 3D sinusoidal surfaces, achieving similar results. Given the increasing accessibility and user-friendliness of digital rendering tools, this study offers a promising strategy for rapid prototyping of initial designs with minimal effort. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ae643ea25e4f435cbd48f5e64be563f0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2590-0072 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Micro and Nano Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-ae643ea25e4f435cbd48f5e64be563f02025-08-20T03:49:35ZengElsevierMicro and Nano Engineering2590-00722025-03-012610029410.1016/j.mne.2024.100294Rapid prototyping of 3D microstructures: A simplified grayscale lithography encoding method using blenderFabrício Frizera Borghi0Mohammed Bendimerad1Marie-Ly Chapon2Tatiana Petithory3Laurent Vonna4Laurent Pieuchot5Instituto de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-611, Brazil; Corresponding author.Université de Haute-Alsace, CNRS, IS2M UMR 7361, Mulhouse 68100, France; Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, F-67081, FranceUniversité de Haute-Alsace, CNRS, IS2M UMR 7361, Mulhouse 68100, France; Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, F-67081, FranceUniversité de Haute-Alsace, CNRS, IS2M UMR 7361, Mulhouse 68100, France; Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, F-67081, FranceUniversité de Haute-Alsace, CNRS, IS2M UMR 7361, Mulhouse 68100, France; Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, F-67081, FranceUniversité de Haute-Alsace, CNRS, IS2M UMR 7361, Mulhouse 68100, France; Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, F-67081, France; Corresponding author at: Université de Haute-Alsace, CNRS, IS2M UMR 7361, Mulhouse 68100, France.The democratization of fabrication equipment has spurred recent interest in maskless grayscale lithography for both 2D and 3D microfabrication. However, the design of suitable template images remains a challenge. This work presents a simplified method for encoding 3D objects into grayscale image files optimized for grayscale lithography. Leveraging the widely used and open-source 3D modeling software Blender, we developed a robust approach to convert geometric heights into grayscale levels and generate image files through top-view rendering. Our method accurately reproduced the overall shape of simple structures like stairs and ramps compared to the original designs. We extended this approach to complex 3D sinusoidal surfaces, achieving similar results. Given the increasing accessibility and user-friendliness of digital rendering tools, this study offers a promising strategy for rapid prototyping of initial designs with minimal effort.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590007224000571Grayscale lithographyBlenderMicrostructuresDigital mask |
| spellingShingle | Fabrício Frizera Borghi Mohammed Bendimerad Marie-Ly Chapon Tatiana Petithory Laurent Vonna Laurent Pieuchot Rapid prototyping of 3D microstructures: A simplified grayscale lithography encoding method using blender Micro and Nano Engineering Grayscale lithography Blender Microstructures Digital mask |
| title | Rapid prototyping of 3D microstructures: A simplified grayscale lithography encoding method using blender |
| title_full | Rapid prototyping of 3D microstructures: A simplified grayscale lithography encoding method using blender |
| title_fullStr | Rapid prototyping of 3D microstructures: A simplified grayscale lithography encoding method using blender |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rapid prototyping of 3D microstructures: A simplified grayscale lithography encoding method using blender |
| title_short | Rapid prototyping of 3D microstructures: A simplified grayscale lithography encoding method using blender |
| title_sort | rapid prototyping of 3d microstructures a simplified grayscale lithography encoding method using blender |
| topic | Grayscale lithography Blender Microstructures Digital mask |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590007224000571 |
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