From Grayscale to True 3D: UpNano Introduces 3D Adaptive Resolution
New 3DAR technology brings full three-dimensional voxel control to 2PP printing – combining optical-grade surface quality with high printing speeds.
Vienna, Austria, 6 October 2026 – Grayscale lithography has long enabled the fabrication of microstructures with continuously varying surface topographies in high surface quality. Now, UpNano GmbH (Vienna, Austria) takes this principle into the third dimension. Its newly developed 3D Adaptive Resolution (3DAR) technology enables dynamic control of the printing voxel (volumetric pixel) in all three spatial dimensions during 2-photon polymerization (2PP) 3D printing. By adapting the voxel to the actual geometry being printed, 3DAR produces smooth, complex 3D surfaces while maintaining high printing speeds. The technology is particularly suited to micro-optics, photonics packaging and semiconductor applications.
Adaptive Resolution has been one of UpNano’s core technologies since the introduction of its NanoOne printing systems. It addresses a fundamental challenge of high-resolution 2PP printing: the finer the resolution, the longer it takes to print larger structures. Adaptive Resolution solves this by changing the dimensions of the voxel created at the laser focus according to the precision required.
Until now, this essentially allowed switching between different voxel sizes: a fine voxel for delicate structures and a larger one for rapidly filling bulk volumes. 3DAR now adds dynamic control over the voxel in all three spatial dimensions.
Laser Focus Goes 3D
“3D Adaptive Resolution gives us dynamic control over the voxel in all three spatial dimensions,” says Bernhard Küenburg, CEO of UpNano. “We can continuously adapt its shape to the geometry we want to create. This allows us to combine printing speed with the surface quality required particularly for optical and photonic applications.”
3DAR builds on the established concept of grayscale lithography, which modulates the voxel size to create continuously varying height profiles. UpNano applies this principle within its 2PP process in three dimensions: the voxel itself is dynamically controlled to follow the target geometry in XYZ dimensions. This grayscale voxel control is therefore not limited to 2.5D surface topographies but can be applied to create complex, freeform 3D structures.
This becomes particularly relevant for curved surfaces. Conventional layer-based fabrication approximates such geometries through successive layers. Smaller layer heights reduce the resulting staircasing but increase printing time. 3DAR instead adjusts the voxel to the desired geometry while maintaining large layer distances. Staircasing is avoided without sacrificing throughput.
Optics in Seconds
For optics and photonics, where surface quality directly affects function, the benefits are substantial. UpNano has demonstrated surface roughness down to Sq 3 nm and shape accuracy below 20 nm. Spiral phase plates with a diameter of 125 µm can be fabricated in less than ten seconds, while aspheric microscopic lenses measuring just 7 µm can be printed within two to three seconds.
Another strength of 2PP is the ability to print directly onto existing and pre-structured substrates. Micro-lenses, mirrors and other optical elements can therefore be fabricated directly on photonic chips, chip facets or fiber arrays. Automatic marker detection and alignment position the structures exactly where required.
This is increasingly relevant for semiconductor manufacturing and optical packaging. Silicon photonics and co-packaged optics require precise coupling of light between chips, fibers and other optical components in very confined spaces. 2PP allows such optical elements to be printed in situ rather than manufactured separately and subsequently aligned and assembled. Such optical connections are becoming increasingly important in AI data centers, where growing computing power also increases energy demand. Efficient fiber-to-chip and chip-to-chip coupling allows large amounts of data to be transmitted with minimal signal loss.
From Innovation to Industry
3DAR is already attracting industrial interest. The first UpNano printers capable of it have been purchased by an Asian company, which has expressed strong interest in acquiring a significant number of additional systems. This early commercial response highlights the industrial potential of a printing platform that enables the high-throughput fabrication of complex freeform geometries while maintaining high surface quality.
The technology continues a development that began with UpNano’s foundation in 2018 and led to the introduction of its NanoOne printing systems, combining high resolution with printing speeds suitable for industrial-scale applications. Since then, the company has expanded its technology from rapid prototyping towards small-series and industrial-scale production while continuously adding new printing capabilities and materials.
Today, the NanoOne platform supports process development, prototyping and small-series production, while UpNano also offers industrial-scale production based on it´s NanoPro technology platform of complex microparts. Across these applications, its 2PP technology combines resolution below 100 nm with a printing range from sub-micrometer structures to centimeter-scale objects.