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• Carefully remove the substrate from the sample holder.
• Place the substrate in a developer bath to wash away excess liquid 2PP resin.
• Wash away the developer.
• Transfer to IPA for at least 15 minutes.
• Gently blow-dry the sample (Optional- dependent on size and strength of your structure, use with extreme caution).
• Cure remaining liquid 2PP resin if a shell and scaffold structure was printed.

Clean the objective lens

NEVER USE ACETONE WHEN CLEANING THE OBJECTIVES

• The objective lenses must be thoroughly cleaned after each user has finished using the tool. Multiple prints may be conducted during the same user session without the need to clean the objective, assuming the same 2PP resin will be used for each print.
• In most cases, IPA alone is appropriate for lens cleaning.
  • Specific lenses have different cleaning requirements, as do different resins and immersion oils.
  • If you are unsure of the proper cleaning procedure for your use case, please contact the staff before printing.

...

• Parts, particularly shell and scaffold components, may require a UV cure after development. 
  • Shell and scaffold parts contain uncured resin within solid walls. Failure to UV cure will result in weak parts and may leak resin.
• The resin's highest sensitivity is to 405 nm UV, however broad spectrum UV curing stations may also work.
  • NOTE: The resin may burn or become distorted with UV power densities above 7 W/m²
  • Typical maximum cure depth is 2.5 mm
  • Recommended exposure time is 21-15 minutes, dependent on part geometry
• A UV curing box in the development hood is under construction
• Alternately, parts may be heat cured. IP-S cures in 5 minutes at 190°C and 17 h at 140°C. Care must be taken to slowly heat samples; thermal shock may break your part off the substrate prematurely. IP-DIP and IP-L cannot be heat cured.

Model Removal

After printing and development, parts that are still on the substrate may need to be removed if they have no detached already. For robust parts on substrates that have poor adhesion, particularly silicon wafers, parts may be detached through simple mechanical means. However for more delicate parts or substrates with superior adhesion, a few methods can be used to remove parts:

Thermal shocking of the substrate via hot plate is an effective method for some parts, typically temperatures of ~90°C are adequate, higher temperatures may risk damaging or overcuring parts.

In some cases, sonication in IPA may work to dislodge a part from its substrate, using short durations (<1 min) and checking your part often.

Silicon Wafer Substrate Production

Standard Type P silicon wafers can be cut to produce 25mm square substrates for use with the 10X and other processes using the CNF DISCO Dicing Saw. Users must provider their own wafer for slicing; for best results, wafers should be 700µm thick +/-25µm. After receiving training on this tool, a program has been saved that is available to dice 6" wafers for use in the Nanoscribe. When using the DISCO Dicing Saw, open the USER directory and select the Nanoscribe6in profile. Please note: this profile is currently set for a 675µm thick wafer; you MUST adjust this parameter for thicker or thinner wafers.

Image Removed

Once you have completed the alignment process (typically aligning only along the flat edge of the wafer is adequate), a total of at least 18 substrates will be produced. Take care to ensure that substrates are free of debris from cutting before using in the NanoScribe. Additional cleaning of substrates via sonication with consecutive baths acetone, IPA, and DI water is recommended.

Image Removed

Advanced Printing Procedures

Parameter Sweeps

While the default DeScribe settings work in many cases, high precision parts may require careful tailoring of the printing parameters, such as laser scan speed, laser power, hatching distance, among others. The quickest way to test a variety of these parameters is with the Advanced STL Processing tool in DeScribe. Using a test STL, usually a small part or feature, one can generate a 1D or 2D array of parts with parameters varied between a start and end point. The image below illustrates a 4x4 array which varies scan speed and hatching distance, which impacts effective laser dose and can highlight issues due to proximity effect:

Image Removed

File Generation and Hierarchy

Advanced printing procedures often require modification to the basic files generated by the DeScribe slicer. In addition to offering much greater control over your print, a user can stitch together multiple jobs into a single part with differing print modes, or even objectives. Many of the most useful commands are highlighted in the sections below. A full reference list is available on Nanoguide and in the DeScribe editor under Window → Command Reference.

Upon slicing an STL file, sample.stl for example, DeScribe generates a number of files and folders, all but the recipe files are necessary to print:

sample.recipe -  Contains basic information on your part import, such as orientation, scaling, and translation. This file will let users maintain changes made to an imported part's orientation on subsequent imports.

sample_job.recipe - Contains information related to the print settings, such as block size, hatching distance, and scan speed. This can be used when importing a new part to pull the previous settings forward in DeScribe.

sample_job.gwl - File which is called by NanoWrite to start a print job. This file contains basic parameters used by the printer such as InvertZAxis, Galvo or Piezo Mode, Scan Speed, Power Scaling, Laser Power among others. This file is also used to call the print data, usually sample_data.gwl but can also call other job files.

sample_data.gwl - Contains instructions to move the stage relative to current position in microns as well as tells the printer which specific block to print in the form of gwlb files.

gwlc - This folder contains GWLC files which are a form of compiled GWLs. The GWLC files are created when generating a 3D preview and will be subsequently loaded by NanoWrite; compiling in DeScribe before loading in NanoWrite significantly speeds up the import process. These files are binary and not easily readable or editable.

sample_files - This folder holds the GWLB, or binary GWL files which are ultimately read by the printer and dictate the laser paths and stage movements. These files are binary and not easily readable or editable.

Multi-DiLL Printing

Multiple samples can be printed sequentially without the need to open the printer and switch substrates. This is useful for jobs where a large number of samples are needed, particularly if print times are short. The procedure for setting up a Multi-DiLL print will reference this build folder which is available for download: Sample01_02_03.zip The builds are based on these simple STLs: sampleSTLs.zip.

• Generate STL files as with any standard print job
• Import these files into DeScribe individually and generate a build using your selected solution set. It is important that all files use the same objective, however you may vary between solid and the shell and scaffold solutions.
  • Keep the generated files in their own respective folders - organizing these files is very important to the process
  • In this case, all files related to Sample1 are in a Sample1 folder
• Combine all sample folders to one master folder
  • An example of the file structure is included below:

Image RemovedImage Removed

• Generate a *job.gwl file - this will tell NanoWrite the order of operations and which files to reference
  • The example uses 1_2_3_job.gwl and is stored in the master folder. The gwl file can be created in a text editor (by changing .txt to .gwl or similar) and the content should be formatted as follows:

...

NewStructure
SamplePosition 4
Wait 20
MessageOut "Start printing the 1st sample"
include Sample1\sample1_job.gwl

NewStructure
SamplePosition 5
Wait 20
MessageOut "Start printing the 2nd sample"
include Sample2\sample2_job.gwl

NewStructure
SamplePosition 6
Wait 20
MessageOut "Start printing the 3rd sample"
include Sample3\sample3_job.gwl

UV Cure Station

A 405 nm UV cure station is available in Room 121 in the cleanroom.

Image Added

Technical Specifications:

• Fourteen 405 nm LED in two arrays (2x7)
• Maximum 40W total LED power
• Fluence: 21 mW/cm²
• Solar powered rotating stand
• Maximum running time of 40 minutes. Exceeding this may cause damage to the equipment.
• Typical exposure time of 0.5 - 10 minutes.*

* Values are for typical Nanoscribe GT2 prints. Actual application may vary by resist or resin.

Note – the LED lighting is diffuse, making characterization of the exact energy density your sample will receive difficult to estimate, as sample location and height can have a significant impact on energy received. Overexposure of samples to 405 nm light may result in yellowing of the samples and embrittlement of the resin.

Use

Can be used for curing 405 nm wavelength resists/resins, particularly parts printed on the Nanoscribe Photonic Professional GT2. Users should only place clean, dry parts in the cure station. Users are responsible for cleanup after use, including wiping the stand. This cure station will run for a user-selected time and automatically shut off after the time has elapsed. Time is entered in 30 second increments up to 40 minutes. Generally, curing times will be well under 10 minutes. Running for 40 minutes or longer may result in overheating of the machine. Samples are visible through a yellow filter in the front of the cure station – you may notice intense fluorescence of your samples while the curing is ongoing.

Safety

This curing system uses near-UV 405 nm wavelength light, which is not inherently harmful to vision or cells. The lighting system is, however, very bright posing a risk of vision damage if the system is operated without being properly closed. Filtered goggles are available and encouraged for users. Additionally, the bright light may cause unwanted curing of other samples when open. As such, the station should only be run when in the properly seated closed position and only opened when the LED array is off.

Model Removal

After printing and development, parts that are still on the substrate may need to be removed if they have no detached already. For robust parts on substrates that have poor adhesion, particularly silicon wafers, parts may be detached through simple mechanical means. However for more delicate parts or substrates with superior adhesion, a few methods can be used to remove parts:

Thermal shocking of the substrate via hot plate is an effective method for some parts, typically temperatures of ~90°C are adequate, higher temperatures may risk damaging or overcuring parts.

In some cases, sonication in IPA may work to dislodge a part from its substrate, using short durations (<1 min) and checking your part often.

Silicon Wafer Substrate Production

Standard Type P silicon wafers can be cut to produce 25mm square substrates for use with the 10X and other processes using the CNF DISCO Dicing Saw. Users must provider their own wafer for slicing; for best results, wafers should be 700µm thick +/-25µm. After receiving training on this tool, a program has been saved that is available to dice 6" wafers for use in the Nanoscribe. When using the DISCO Dicing Saw, open the USER directory and select the Nanoscribe6in profile. Please note: this profile is currently set for a 675µm thick wafer; you MUST adjust this parameter for thicker or thinner wafers.

Image Added

Once you have completed the alignment process (typically aligning only along the flat edge of the wafer is adequate), a total of at least 18 substrates will be produced. Take care to ensure that substrates are free of debris from cutting before using in the NanoScribe. Additional cleaning of substrates via sonication with consecutive baths acetone, IPA, and DI water is recommended.

Image Added

Advanced Printing Procedures

Parameter Sweeps

While the default DeScribe settings work in many cases, high precision parts may require careful tailoring of the printing parameters, such as laser scan speed, laser power, hatching distance, among others. The quickest way to test a variety of these parameters is with the Advanced STL Processing tool in DeScribe. Using a test STL, usually a small part or feature, one can generate a 1D or 2D array of parts with parameters varied between a start and end point. The image below illustrates a 4x4 array which varies scan speed and hatching distance, which impacts effective laser dose and can highlight issues due to proximity effect:

Image Added

File Generation and Hierarchy

Advanced printing procedures often require modification to the basic files generated by the DeScribe slicer. In addition to offering much greater control over your print, a user can stitch together multiple jobs into a single part with differing print modes, or even objectives. Many of the most useful commands are highlighted in the sections below. A full reference list is available on Nanoguide and in the DeScribe editor under Window → Command Reference.

Upon slicing an STL file, sample.stl for example, DeScribe generates a number of files and folders, all but the recipe files are necessary to print:

sample.recipe -  Contains basic information on your part import, such as orientation, scaling, and translation. This file will let users maintain changes made to an imported part's orientation on subsequent imports.

sample_job.recipe - Contains information related to the print settings, such as block size, hatching distance, and scan speed. This can be used when importing a new part to pull the previous settings forward in DeScribe.

sample_job.gwl - File which is called by NanoWrite to start a print job. This file contains basic parameters used by the printer such as InvertZAxis, Galvo or Piezo Mode, Scan Speed, Power Scaling, Laser Power among others. This file is also used to call the print data, usually sample_data.gwl but can also call other job files.

sample_data.gwl - Contains instructions to move the stage relative to current position in microns as well as tells the printer which specific block to print in the form of gwlb files.

gwlc - This folder contains GWLC files which are a form of compiled GWLs. The GWLC files are created when generating a 3D preview and will be subsequently loaded by NanoWrite; compiling in DeScribe before loading in NanoWrite significantly speeds up the import process. These files are binary and not easily readable or editable.

sample_files - This folder holds the GWLB, or binary GWL files which are ultimately read by the printer and dictate the laser paths and stage movements. These files are binary and not easily readable or editable.

Multi-DiLL Printing

Multiple samples can be printed sequentially without the need to open the printer and switch substrates. This is useful for jobs where a large number of samples are needed, particularly if print times are short. The procedure for setting up a Multi-DiLL print will reference this build folder which is available for download: Sample01_02_03.zip The builds are based on these simple STLs: sampleSTLs.zip.

• Generate STL files as with any standard print job
• Import these files into DeScribe individually and generate a build using your selected solution set. It is important that all files use the same objective, however you may vary between solid and the shell and scaffold solutions.
  • Keep the generated files in their own respective folders - organizing these files is very important to the process
  • In this case, all files related to Sample1 are in a Sample1 folder
• Combine all sample folders to one master folder
  • An example of the file structure is included below:

Image AddedImage Added

• Generate a *job.gwl file - this will tell NanoWrite the order of operations and which files to reference
  • The example uses 1_2_3_job.gwl and is stored in the master folder. The gwl file can be created in a text editor (by changing .txt to .gwl or similar) and the content should be formatted as follows:

• In this example, we are printing in positions 4, 5, and 6 on the Multi-DiLL holder.
  • NewStructure: Tells NanoWrite to begin a new print
  • SamplePosition: Tells NanoWrite which position in the sample holder to print
    
  • Wait: Waits for an integer number of seconds to allow the resin to settle after the lens has approached
    
  • MessageOut: Displays text to indicate a new job has started
    
  • include: Opens the build files from the included path
• You may test your gwl file by opening it in DeScribe to verify the paths are correct. Generate a 3D preview (F5) and ensure there are no errors.
  • Note: DeScribe will render all models on top of one another. This is normal behavior, as seen below:

Image Added

• Copy the folder to the Nanoscribe computer
• Place your substrates in the positions indicated in your gwl file and add resin to them, using an appropriate amount for the sample printed
  • Large deposits of resin may drip in the machine, please ensure a minimal amount is applied
• Insert the correct objective and the Multi-DiLL holder as with standard prints
• Select the position of your first print in NanoWrite. By default, the Multi-DiLL is set to position 5, as seen below. To reduce bubble formation in your print, it is best to change this to your first print position. Note that when clicking the new position on the Multi-DiLL graphic in the NanoWrite "Choose sample holder" dialog box, the view is from the bottom of the holder, so positions are flipped, e.g. position 1 is the top right. Click OK and then approach the sample.

Image Added

• Load the *job.gwl file in your top folder in NanoWrite, in the case of the example load 1_2_3_job.gwl
• Start print job, the total print time scales linearly with the number of samples in the job

Manual Interface Finding

WARNING: MANUAL INTERFACE FINDING MAY RESULT IN A COLLISION BETWEEN THE SUBSTRATE AND LENS IF DONE IMPROPERLY. IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT A STAFF MEMBER BEFORE ATTEMPTING.

Procedure for All Objectives:

1. Load your substrate in a sample holder. If the substrate is thicker or thinner than the holder depth (i.e. 700 microns thick for the Multi-DiLL holder), it is important to measure how much taller or shorter your substrate is.
2. Add resin to your substrate and the objective.
3. Load your sample as you would normally, select the correct holder and click OK.
   1. Do not click Approach Sample at any point.
4. In the advanced camera settings, ensure that the light source is correct for your substrate - for opaque substrates use a Reflective Illumination, but for transparent substrates you will be better served with Transmission Illumination with all objectives.
5. Approach the sample with the manual Z control. You may use coarse control initially until you reach a Z-height on the order of 9000um. For thicker substrates, it is recommended to stop earlier, substract your substrate height above the holder from 9000.
   1. During this step you should see the lens contact the resin, it will be very obvious, looking like a bubble moving across the microscope. Keeping Auto Contrast and Auto Exposure.
6. Using the fine control, move the microscope slowly; you should slowly begin to resolve the substrate.
   1. For a 700um thick substrate this is typically a Z-value greater than 9800um.
   2. Turning off auto-contrast and auto exposure can be helpful; ensuring short exposure times but also smaller Gain (<15) will result in a clearer image.
7. Once the substrate appears in view, turn off the microscope in NanoWrite and open AxioVision.
8. While AxioVision loads, in the NanoWrite Advanced Settings console type ManualControl and click Submit.
9. On the left hand side of the Manual Control interface is a section with Shutter Control. Set the laser power to a low value, typically 5%
10. With AxioVision loaded, open the shutter. If you see a small white dot, this is the laser. If you cannot see it, you are either too close to the substrate and its focal length is past the surface of your substrate. Alternately, you may be too far from the substrate, however this is typically not the case if you have your substrate in focus.
11. Using the fine Z control, slowly adjust the Z location towards your substrate until the white dot just disappears. Note this Z location - switching the microscope control unit to XYZ mode is helpful for this process as the Manual Control interface is not ideal for this step.
12. Close the Shutter in Manual Control.
13. Close AxioVision and Manual Control. Enable the NanoWrite microscope.
    1. Note: closing AxioVision and renabling the microscope will automatically turn on Auto-Contrast, you may wish to disable this again.
14. Your substrate should eventually come into sharp focus, move the substrate on X and Y until you have identified where you would like to print.
15. Modify your _data.gwl file:
    1. It will contain the line FindInterfaceAt $interfacePos, comment this out by adding "%" before the line
    2. If this line is not removed or commented out, the microscope will lose the position and attempt to automatically find the interface
    3. DeScribe v2.7 and higher allows you to disable automatic interface finding in the Output section of the Import STL window. Under "Interface finder", select "Skip." Doing so should obviate this step.
16. Load your print job and begin printing
    1. It may be valuable to have a small object (e.g. a cube) to test the print before starting a longer one. This can help validate your starting point and ensure that your print isn't floating or the laser is focused past your substrate.
17. When your print is complete, click Exchange Sample Holder. This will back the objective from your print as normal.

See this short video below which follows the same process:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1oj60ROPTQ0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

*Note - the Z values in this video are not necessarily reflective of other prints and should not be used as a reference.

Printing on Porous Substrates

For substrates with holes or other features, it is necessary to manually align the microscope. First, users should follow the Manual Interface Finding procedure. This can be done on any location on your substrate, however an area away from your desired print area is suggested. Once an interface has been determined, manual alignment can begin.

In the following steps, we are assuming that we are looking to find the center of a 1000 um hole in the center of a substrate.

1. Move around the microscope until the feature is visible. Ensuring the features are near center of the substrate as possible will prevent bubbles from forming and being moved around the lens.
2. Make sure Center Cursor is on, there should be a dashed blue line on the microscope display. If it is not there, click Center Cursor.
3. Move to one edge of the feature, roughly center, in this case the lowest point of the hole, keeping this in the center of the crosshairs.
4. Move up 1000 um on Y

• In this example, we are printing in positions 4, 5, and 6 on the Multi-DiLL holder.
  • NewStructure: Tells NanoWrite to begin a new print
  • SamplePosition: Tells NanoWrite which position in the sample holder to print
    
  • Wait: Waits for an integer number of seconds to allow the resin to settle after the lens has approached
    
  • MessageOut: Displays text to indicate a new job has started
    
  • include: Opens the build files from the included path
• You may test your gwl file by opening it in DeScribe to verify the paths are correct. Generate a 3D preview (F5) and ensure there are no errors.
  • Note: DeScribe will render all models on top of one another. This is normal behavior, as seen below:

Image Removed

• Copy the folder to the Nanoscribe computer
• Place your substrates in the positions indicated in your gwl file and add resin to them, using an appropriate amount for the sample printed
  • Large deposits of resin may drip in the machine, please ensure a minimal amount is applied
• Insert the correct objective and the Multi-DiLL holder as with standard prints
• Select the position of your first print in NanoWrite. By default, the Multi-DiLL is set to position 5, as seen below. To reduce bubble formation in your print, it is best to change this to your first print position. Note that when clicking the new position on the Multi-DiLL graphic in the NanoWrite "Choose sample holder" dialog box, the view is from the bottom of the holder, so positions are flipped, e.g. position 1 is the top right. Click OK and then approach the sample.

Image Removed

• Load the *job.gwl file in your top folder in NanoWrite, in the case of the example load 1_2_3_job.gwl
• Start print job, the total print time scales linearly with the number of samples in the job

Manual Interface Finding

WARNING: MANUAL INTERFACE FINDING MAY RESULT IN A COLLISION BETWEEN THE SUBSTRATE AND LENS IF DONE IMPROPERLY. IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT A STAFF MEMBER BEFORE ATTEMPTING.

Procedure for All Objectives:

1. Load your substrate in a sample holder. If the substrate is thicker or thinner than the holder depth (i.e. 700 microns thick for the Multi-DiLL holder), it is important to measure how much taller or shorter your substrate is.
2. Add resin to your substrate and the objective.
3. Load your sample as you would normally, select the correct holder and click OK.
   1. Do not click Approach Sample at any point.
4. In the advanced camera settings, ensure that the light source is correct for your substrate - for opaque substrates use a Reflective Illumination, but for transparent substrates you will be better served with Transmission Illumination with all objectives.
5. Approach the sample with the manual Z control. You may use coarse control initially until you reach a Z-height on the order of 9000um. For thicker substrates, it is recommended to stop earlier, substract your substrate height above the holder from 9000.
   1. During this step you should see the lens contact the resin, it will be very obvious, looking like a bubble moving across the microscope. Keeping Auto Contrast and Auto Exposure.
6. Using the fine control, move the microscope slowly; you should slowly begin to resolve the substrate.
   1. For a 700um thick substrate this is typically a Z-value greater than 9800um.
   2. Turning off auto-contrast and auto exposure can be helpful; ensuring short exposure times but also smaller Gain (<15) will result in a clearer image.
7. Once the substrate appears in view, turn off the microscope in NanoWrite and open AxioVision.
8. While AxioVision loads, in the NanoWrite Advanced Settings console type ManualControl and click Submit.
9. On the left hand side of the Manual Control interface is a section with Shutter Control. Set the laser power to a low value, typically 5%
10. With AxioVision loaded, open the shutter. If you see a small white dot, this is the laser. If you cannot see it, you are either too close to the substrate and its focal length is past the surface of your substrate. Alternately, you may be too far from the substrate, however this is typically not the case if you have your substrate in focus.
11. Using the fine Z control, slowly adjust the Z location towards your substrate until the white dot just disappears. Note this Z location - switching the microscope control unit to XYZ mode is helpful for this process as the Manual Control interface is not ideal for this step.
12. Close the Shutter in Manual Control.
13. Close AxioVision and Manual Control. Enable the NanoWrite microscope.
    1. Note: closing AxioVision and renabling the microscope will automatically turn on Auto-Contrast, you may wish to disable this again.
14. Your substrate should eventually come into sharp focus, move the substrate on X and Y until you have identified where you would like to print.
15. Modify your _data.gwl file:
    1. It will contain the line FindInterfaceAt $interfacePos, comment this out by adding "%" before the line
    2. If this line is not removed or commented out, the microscope will lose the position and attempt to automatically find the interface
    3. DeScribe v2.7 and higher allows you to disable automatic interface finding in the Output section of the Import STL window. Under "Interface finder", select "Skip." Doing so should obviate this step.
16. Load your print job and begin printing
    1. It may be valuable to have a small object (e.g. a cube) to test the print before starting a longer one. This can help validate your starting point and ensure that your print isn't floating or the laser is focused past your substrate.
17. When your print is complete, click Exchange Sample Holder. This will back the objective from your print as normal.

See this short video below which follows the same process:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1oj60ROPTQ0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

*Note - the Z values in this video are not necessarily reflective of other prints and should not be used as a reference.

Printing on Porous Substrates

For substrates with holes or other features, it is necessary to manually align the microscope. First, users should follow the Manual Interface Finding procedure. This can be done on any location on your substrate, however an area away from your desired print area is suggested. Once an interface has been determined, manual alignment can begin.

In the following steps, we are assuming that we are looking to find the center of a 1000 um hole in the center of a substrate.

1. Move around the microscope until the feature is visible. Ensuring the features are near center of the substrate as possible will prevent bubbles from forming and being moved around the lens.
2. Make sure Center Cursor is on, there should be a dashed blue line on the microscope display. If it is not there, click Center Cursor.
3. Move to one edge of the feature, roughly center, in this case the lowest point of the hole, keeping this in the center of the crosshairs.
4. Move up 1000 um on Y by inputting 1000 um in the step size box and clicking the up arrow for stage adjustment. Note that in this case picking the Y axis is arbitrary and the X may be used just as easily as a starting point.
5. Realign to the top of the hole, generally 10um increments are sufficient. Record the total distance added or subtracted from the initial 1000 um.
6. Move to the new Y center point by inputting half the net distance travelled in Step Size then click the down arrow once e.g. ((1000um-distance correction)/2).
7. Move right on the X axis by current value in Step Size.
8. Align the edge of the hole as with the Y axis. If the center appears to be misaligned with the Y axis, adjustments can be made now to align on this axis.
9. Continue to move side to side and up and down in order to verify that the sample is centered.
10. Record the X and Y coordinates of this center point.
11. For multi-part prints, it is necessary to comment out any instance of FindInterfaceAt  or CenterStage in the _job.gwl and _data.gwl files
    1. In lieu of CenterStage, a new center point can be added manually via the StageGoToX and StageGoToY commands, typically in the _job.gwl file.
       1. Formatting is StageGoToX number where number is the X coordinate of your new center point.

 The CAD models for this substrate are available for download in STL and STP format, as well as a drawing of the substrate.

...

The short video below demonstrates the process for a 25x25 mm substrate with a 1mm center hole:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MXdIrBVFAVY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

These substrates were printed via an SLA process at 50um layer height and subsequently polished to a 3um finish.

Multi-Part Printing

The Nanoscribe is capable of printing multiple parts in a single job, assuming they use the same objective.* In general, each individual part is sliced with its own parameters and then a master job.gwl file calls these individual parts.

Some editing of _job.gwl files may be required, particularly to generate the master file. The commands which are very useful in generating this file are:

• include *_job.gwl : Always include the job file and NOT the data file. The job file will automatically call the data.
• Pause: Introduces a pause before proceeding to the next step. The user must click "Continue" or "Abort" before proceeding.
• var $i : This syntax declares the variable i. Any other string can be used as long as it is not a command and follows the $ symbol every time it is called.
• CenterStage: Brings the stage to the center position, the same coordinates where the automatic interface finder determined the center.
• StageGoToX #/ StageGoToY #: These commands can move the stage to a desired X or Y position where # is an X or Y coordinate.
• AddZDrivePosition #: Adds some value, #, to the current Z height in microns.
• ShowVar $i: displays the value of the variable i. Useful for outputting things like loop number, or other hardcoded variables to ensure they are still correct.
• MessageOut "text": Displays the text within the quotes in the Message Center. Using this one can output current status (i.e. MessageOut "Printing job 2 of 3")
• for i = 0 to 1: Basic For loop syntax. The lines between the for statement and "end" will run while i increments by 1 (by default).
• end : Ends the For Loop.

An example folder is included which demonstrates this printing method. It can be downloaded here: NS_multi_part.zip

The code after the standard header text in the job file is below:

...

var $centerX = 0
var $centerY = 0
var $i = 0

% Include slicer output
include pedestal_job.gwl % Prints the base part

MessageOut "Pedestal printed" %Displays a message in the NanoWrite info window

MessageOut "X center:"
ShowVar $centerX  %Displays the current set value for X center
MessageOut "Y center:"
ShowVar $centerY  %Displays the current set value for Y center

MessageOut "Printing statue"
Pause %Waits for user input to continue or abort print

for $i = 0 to 1 % This loop prints two sets of 'statues', adding 200um in Z height each time to ensure they print atop the pedestal
    StageGotoX $centerX % Ensures the stage moves to a known center. Users can set other values if the subsequent prints should be offset
    StageGotoY $centerY
    AddZDrivePosition 200
    include statue_job.gwl % Make sure the interface finding is OFF in statue_data.gwl as the stage will reset to the interface location otherwise

end

1. to align on this axis.
2. Continue to move side to side and up and down in order to verify that the sample is centered.
3. Record the X and Y coordinates of this center point.
4. For multi-part prints, it is necessary to comment out any instance of FindInterfaceAt  or CenterStage in the _job.gwl and _data.gwl files
   1. In lieu of CenterStage, a new center point can be added manually via the StageGoToX and StageGoToY commands, typically in the _job.gwl file.
      1. Formatting is StageGoToX number where number is the X coordinate of your new center point.

 The CAD models for this substrate are available for download in STL and STP format, as well as a drawing of the substrate.

The short video below demonstrates the process for a 25x25 mm substrate with a 1mm center hole:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MXdIrBVFAVY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

These substrates were printed via an SLA process at 50um layer height and subsequently polished to a 3um finish.

Multi-Part Printing

The Nanoscribe is capable of printing multiple parts in a single job, assuming they use the same objective.* In general, each individual part is sliced with its own parameters and then a master job.gwl file calls these individual parts.

Some editing of _job.gwl files may be required, particularly to generate the master file. The commands which are very useful in generating this file are:

• include *_job.gwl : Always include the job file and NOT the data file. The job file will automatically call the data.
• Pause: Introduces a pause before proceeding to the next step. The user must click "Continue" or "Abort" before proceeding.
• var $i : This syntax declares the variable i. Any other string can be used as long as it is not a command and follows the $ symbol every time it is called.
• CenterStage: Brings the stage to the center position, the same coordinates where the automatic interface finder determined the center.
• StageGoToX #/ StageGoToY #: These commands can move the stage to a desired X or Y position where # is an X or Y coordinate.
• AddZDrivePosition #: Adds some value, #, to the current Z height in microns.
• ShowVar $i: displays the value of the variable i. Useful for outputting things like loop number, or other hardcoded variables to ensure they are still correct.
• MessageOut "text": Displays the text within the quotes in the Message Center. Using this one can output current status (i.e. MessageOut "Printing job 2 of 3")
• for i = 0 to 1: Basic For loop syntax. The lines between the for statement and "end" will run while i increments by 1 (by default).
• end : Ends the For Loop.

An example folder is included which demonstrates this printing method. It can be downloaded here: NS_multi_part.zip

The code after the standard header text in the job file is below:

The folder contains two sliced parts: pedestal.stl via 25X Swift Mode and statue.stl via 25X Balanced Swift Mode. Master_job.gwl contains the commands to first print the pedestal and then two copies of the 'statue' atop. When generating a 3D preview, the final object should look like this:

Image Added

Total estimated print time is 2.5 minutes.

*Multi-objective printing is also possible, but not covered in this example.

Marker Alignment

Printing on wafers prepared by other systems or prints that require multiple objectives may require special alignment procedures to ensure the print occurs in the exact orientation desired. A detailed description of the exact alignment procedure is available on Nanoguide. To aid with this, three job files have been prepared to aid in aligning the 10X, 25X, and 63X objectives. All files by default print a single voxel width X for orientation purposes using the Write command. An example of this is below:

This will produce an X that is 20 um wide by 20 um tall. This command can also be run in the Advanced → Commands window directly without a special job file.

(File upload TK)

The folder contains two sliced parts: pedestal.stl via 25X Swift Mode and statue.stl via 25X Balanced Swift Mode. Master_job.gwl contains the commands to first print the pedestal and then two copies of the 'statue' atop. When generating a 3D preview, the final object should look like this:

Image Removed

Total estimated print time is 2.5 minutes.

*Multi-objective printing is also possible, but not covered in this example.

Applications

• Microfluidics
• Micromechanics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Micro-electro-mechanical systems
• Mechanical metamaterials
• Micro-optics
• Photonic metamaterials and Plasmonics

...