Micron-scale glass components are widely used in optical, photonic, and micro-fabricated systems. These components are commonly produced through grinding, polishing, and milling processes that require tight tolerances and specialized equipment. As device architectures become more compact and geometrically complex, these approaches can constrain design flexibility and integration.
Los Alamos researchers developed an additive manufacturing process that builds glass components layer by layer using aerosol jet printing. Glass particles suspended in an aerosolizable carrier solution are deposited onto a substrate and then sintered to form monolithic glass structures. This approach enables controlled fabrication of small glass features without bulk glass melting or post-fabrication machining.
Value Proposition
This technology enables the fabrication of micron-scale glass components using an additive manufacturing approach. Conventional fabrication methods rely on subtractive machining, which can limit achievable geometries and increase processing complexity at small scales. By depositing glass material directly into its final geometry and sintering it into a dense structure, this method provides an alternative pathway for producing small, high-precision glass features.
