Chemically amplified positive resists for two-photon three-dimensional microfabrication

Recently, highly efficient two-photon absorbing dyes and radical and acid generators were developed. Micro-fabrication of 3D microstructures were accomplished by radical polymerization of crosslinkable acrylate resin systems, but volume shrinkage and distortion of the solid images formed in such systems can limit its use. This paper reports on a chemically amplified positive-tone polymeric system that can be efficiently patterned by two-photon excitation, and in which the unexposed regions undergo little structural distortion during processing.