Rapid Prototyping of 3D Microstructures: A Simplified Grayscale Lithography Encoding Method Using Blender

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simplified, Blender-based method for encoding 3D microstructures into grayscale images for maskless lithography, enabling rapid and accessible prototyping of complex microfabricated shapes.

Contribution

A novel approach using Blender to convert 3D geometries into grayscale images for lithography, simplifying the design process for 3D microfabrication.

Findings

Accurately reproduces simple and complex 3D structures

Uses open-source Blender software for encoding

Facilitates rapid prototyping with minimal effort

Abstract

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, 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.