CONTINUOUS LIQUID INTERPHASE PRINTING
A method of forming a three-dimensional object, comprises providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, the carrier and the build surface defining a build region therebetween; filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid; irradiating the build region through the optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from the polymerizable liquid while concurrently advancing the carrier away from the build surface to form the three-dimensional object from the solid polymer, while also concurrently: (i) continuously maintaining a dead zone of polymerizable liquid in contact with the build surface, and (ii) continuously maintaining a gradient of polymerization zone between the dead zone and the solid polymer and in contact with each thereof, the gradient of polymerization zone comprising the polymerizable liquid in partially cured form. Apparatus for carrying out the method is also described.
1 . A method of forming a three-dimensional object, comprising:
providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, said carrier and said build surface defining a build region therebetween;
filling said build region with a polymerizable liquid;
irradiating said build region through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid while concurrently advancing said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer, while also concurrently:
(i) continuously maintaining a dead zone of polymerizable liquid in contact with said build surface, and
(ii) continuously maintaining a gradient of polymerization zone between said dead zone and said solid polymer and in contact with each thereof, said gradient of polymerization zone comprising said polymerizable liquid in partially cured form.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said optically transparent member comprises a semipermeable member, and said continuously maintaining a dead zone is carried out by feeding an inhibitor of polymerization through said optically transparent member, thereby creating a gradient of inhibitor in said dead zone and optionally in at least a portion of said gradient of polymerization zone.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein said optically transparent member is comprised of a semipermeable fluoropolymer, a rigid gas-permeable polymer, porous glass, or a combination thereof.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said irradiating step is carried out by maskless photolithography.
5 . The method claim 1 , wherein said gradient of polymerization zone and said dead zone together have a thickness of from 1 to 1000 microns.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said gradient of polymerization zone is maintained for a time of at least 5 seconds.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of disrupting said gradient of polymerization zone for a time sufficient to form a cleavage line in said three-dimensional object.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of heating said polymerizable liquid to reduce the viscosity thereof in said build region.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said carrier has at least one channel formed therein, and said filling step is carried out by passing or forcing said polymerizable liquid into said build region through said at least one channel.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said irradiating step is carried out with actinic radiation.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said concurrently advancing is carried out at a cumulative rate of at least 10 microns per second.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein: the total surface area of the build region occupies at least seventy percent of the total surface area of the build surface; and/or wherein lateral movement of the carrier and object in any direction is not more than thirty percent of the width of said build region in the corresponding direction.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein (a) said polymerizable liquid comprises a free radical polymerizable liquid and said inhibitor comprises oxygen, or (b) said polymerizable liquid comprises an acid-catalyzed or cationically polymerizable liquid, and said inhibitor comprises a base.
14 . An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object from a polymerizable liquid, comprising:
(a) a support;
(b) a carrier operatively associated with said support on which carrier said three-dimensional object is formed;
(c) an optically transparent member having a build surface, with said build surface and said carrier defining a build region therebetween;
(d) a liquid polymer supply operatively associated with said build surface and configured to supply liquid polymer into said build region for solidification polymerization;
(e) a radiation source configured to irradiate said build region through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid;
(f) a controller operatively associated with said carrier and said radiation source for advancing said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer, while also concurrently:
(i) continuously maintaining a dead zone of polymerizable liquid in contact with said build surface, and
(ii) continuously maintaining a gradient of polymerization zone between said dead zone and said solid polymer and in contact with each thereof, said gradient of polymerization zone comprising said polymerizable liquid in partially cured form.
15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said carrier has at least one channel formed therein, configured for supply of said polymerizable liquid into said build region through said at least one channel
16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said carrier has a plurality of channels formed therein, configured for supply of different polymerizable liquids through different ones of said plurality of channels.
17 . The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising at least one external feed conduit separate from said object, each of said at least one feed conduit in fluid communication with a channel in said carrier, configured for supply of at least one polymerizable liquid from said carrier to said build zone.
18 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the source of polymerization inhibitor is a reservoir of polymerization inhibitor within the semipermeable member.
19 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the semipermeable member further comprises a feed surface separate from said build surface.
20 . A method of forming a three-dimensional object, comprising:
providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, said carrier and said build surface defining a build region therebetween; filling said build region with a polymerizable liquid;
irradiating said build region with actinic radiation through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid while concurrently advancing said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer, while also concurrently:
(i) continuously maintaining a dead zone of polymerizable liquid in contact with said build surface, and
(ii) continuously maintaining a gradient of polymerization zone between said dead zone and said solid polymer and in contact with each thereof, said gradient of polymerization zone comprising said polymerizable liquid in partially cured form; wherein said gradient of polymerization zone and said dead zone together have a thickness of from 1 to 1000 microns; wherein said gradient of polymerization zone is maintained for a time of at least 5 seconds; and wherein (i) said polymerizable liquid comprises a free radical polymerizable liquid and said inhibitor comprises oxygen, or (ii) said polymerizable liquid comprises an acid-catalyzed or cationically polymerizable liquid, and said inhibitor comprises a base.