High frequency dynamic mechanical characterization of two-photon polymerized 3D microstructures

Two-photon polymerization (2PP) is a direct laser writing technology that enables the fabrication of fully 3D structures with sub-diffraction limit resolution. The mechanical properties of structures fabricated by 2PP are strongly dependent on the irradiation parameters. In this respect, here we perform a systematic characterization of the elastic properties of SZ2080, a hybrid organic/inorganic negative sol-gel photoresist, by combining dynamic experimental tests and numerical simulations on properly designed micro-cantilevers. The knowledge acquired in this characterization will be exploited in the fabrication of complex 3D metamaterials.