Projection micro stereolithography based 3D printing and its applications

Abstract Projection micro stereolithography (P μ SL) is a high-resolution (up to 0.6 μ m) 3D printing technology based on area projection triggered photopolymerization, and capable of fabricating complex 3D architectures covering multiple scales and with multiple materials. This paper reviews the recent development of the P μ SL based 3D printing technologies, together with the related applications. It introduces the working principle, the commercialized products, and the recent multiscale, multimaterial printing capability of P μ SL as well as some functional photopolymers that are suitable to P μ SL. This review paper also summarizes a few typical applications of P μ SL including mechanical metamaterials, optical components, 4D printing, bioinspired materials and biomedical applications, and offers perspectives on the directions of the further development of P μ SL based 3D printing technology.