[OPTICAL REVIEW Vol. 21, No. 5 (2014) 679-682]
© 2014 The Japan Society of Applied Physics
Three-Dimensional Printing of Conducting Polymer Microstructures into Transparent Polymer Sheet: Relationship between Process Resolution and Illumination Conditions
Katsumi YAMADA1, Mizuki WATANABE1, and Junji SONE2
1Department of Life Science and Sustainable Chemistry, Tokyo Polytechnic University, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0297, Japan
2Department of Applied Computer Science, Tokyo Polytechnic University, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0297, Japan
(Received March 31, 2014; Revised June 1, 2014; Accepted June 9, 2014)
Three-dimensional (3D) polypyrrole microstructures were successfully obtained in a transparent polymer sheet by 3D scanning of the laser focal point. The lateral process resolution of the microstructures was studied under different photofabrication conditions such as the repetition rate of the femtosecond pulse laser and the waiting time of the laser focal point scanning. As a result, a very small line width of the polypyrrole deposition of less than 500 nm was realized with good reproducibility.
Key words: 3D printing, polypyrrole, multi-photon sensitized polymerization, femtosecond laser, process resolution