Triplet Triplet Annihilation Polymerization for High Resolution 3D Printing

Two-photon polymerization (TPP) offers by far the highest spatial resolution (< 1 μm) of current 3D printing methods, but suffers from limited volumetric write speeds compared to conventional stereolithography and requires the use of pulsed laser sources. Here, we demonstrate a new method of high-resolution 3D printing using triplet-triplet-annihilation (TTA) that achieves sub-micron resolution while maintaining high throughput and requiring only a light emitting diode (LED) source with an intensity six orders of magnitude lower than typically required for TPP. We demonstrate a robust 3D printing mechanism capable of printing a diverse array of materials with high resolution, low surface roughness, and high write speeds, without requiring high-intensity pulsed laser illumination.