A method of forming a three-dimensional object, is carried out by (a) providing a carrier and a build plate, the build plate comprising a semipermeable member, the semipermeable member comprising a build surface with the build surface and the carrier defining a build region therebetween, and with the build surface in fluid communication by way of the semipermeable member with a source of polymerization inhibitor; (b) filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid, the polymerizable liquid contacting the build surface; (c) irradiating the build region through the build plate to produce a solid polymerized region in the build region, while forming or maintaining a liquid film release layer comprised of the polymerizable liquid formed between the solid polymerized region and the build surface, the polymerization of which liquid film is inhibited by the polymerization inhibitor; and (d) advancing the carrier with the polymerized region adhered thereto away from the build surface on the build plate to create a subsequent build region between the polymerized region and the build surface; (e) wherein the carrier has at least one channel formed therein, and the filling step is carried out by passing or forcing the polymerizable liquid into the build region through the at least one channel. Apparatus for carrying out the method is also described.

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.

An aperture system for a bottom-up stereolithography device including a reservoir having a lower opening, an aperture including a flexible membrane positioned within the reservoir and covering the lower opening, and a boundary seal positioned around a periphery of the flexible membrane, the boundary seal including one or more boundary seal components and immobilizing the periphery of the flexible membrane against the reservoir. The flexible membrane is formed of a material having a low affinity for a liquid resin used in the stereolithography device as well as cured photopolymer resin parts produced by the device. In addition, the flexible membrane is able to deform as the cured resin part is pulled away from the aperture, thus enabling lower energy mixed mode adhesive failure to occur at the interface between the cured resin and the aperture and reducing the chance of cohesive damage to the cured photopolymer part.

A mold includes a rugged pattern layer, an inorganic sheet layer, and an elastic sheet layer. The inorganic sheet layer is formed of an inorganic material and supports the rugged pattern layer. The elastic sheet layer supports the inorganic sheet layer.

A light curing apparatus includes a chassis, a carrier, a driving mechanism, and a bottom light curing module. The chassis includes a box and a partition arranged in the box to define a curing space and a receiving space. The carrier is translucent and is arranged in the curing space. The driving mechanism is connected to the carrier to rotate the carrier. The bottom light curing module is arranged in the receiving space and includes a plurality of light curing units. The light curing units of the bottom light curing module are configured to emit a curing light onto at least 80% of the carrier, when the driving mechanism drives the carrier to rotate.

A mold, a molding apparatus, and a method for manufacturing articles or components is used to manufacture an article or component of the article that at least partially comprises an ultraviolet (UV) curable material. The mold and apparatus comprise at least one mold wall formed of a cyclic olefin copolymer, which is in contact with UV radiation curable material and allows the article or component of the article to be exposed to UV radiation for a period of time in order to provide for at least partial cure thereof.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object, is carried out by (a) providing a carrier and a build plate, the build plate comprising a semipermeable member, the semipermeable member comprising a build surface with the build surface and the carrier defining a build region therebetween, and with the build surface in fluid communication by way of the semipermeable member with a source of polymerization inhibitor; (b) filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid, the polymerizable liquid contacting the build surface, (c) irradiating the build region through the build plate to produce a solid polymerized region in the build region, while forming or maintaining a liquid film release layer comprised of the polymerizable liquid formed between the solid polymerized region and the build surface, wherein the polymerization of which liquid film is inhibited by the polymerization inhibitor; and (d) advancing the carrier with the polymerized region adhered thereto away from the build surface on the build plate to create a subsequent build region between the polymerized region and the build surface while concurrently filling the subsequent build region with polymerizable liquid as in step (b). Apparatus for carrying out the method is also described.

Provided are a cylindrical base, a master and a method for manufacturing a master enabling a uniform transfer of a fine pattern. A cylindrical base of a quartz glass having an internal strain in terms of birefringence of less than 70 nm/cm is used. A resist layer is deposited to an outer circumference surface of this cylindrical base, a latent image is formed on the resist layer, the latent image formed on the resist layer is developed and the pattern of the developed resist layer is used as a mask for etching to form a structure including concaves or convexes arranged in a plurality of rows on the outer circumference surface of the cylindrical base.

A bare optical fiber manufacturing method includes applying an ultraviolet curable resin applied around an optical fiber; and irradiating the ultraviolet curable resin with ultraviolet light emitted from semiconductor ultraviolet light emitting elements, by use of an ultraviolet irradiation device having plural ultraviolet irradiation units each having plural positions where the ultraviolet light is emitted toward the ultraviolet curable resin, the plural positions being arranged on the same circle, the plural ultraviolet irradiation units being arranged in a traveling direction of the optical fiber such that the optical fiber passes centers of the circles, at least two of the plural ultraviolet irradiation units being differently arranged with respect to circumferential direction angles thereof around an axis that is the traveling direction of the optical fiber.

An apparatus for fabricating a lens includes an injection port to inject a source material, a molding frame filled with the source material and including a plurality of forming molds adjacent to each other, and a light source or a heat source to cure the source material filled in the forming molds. The forming molds include at least four connection passages connected to the forming molds. A method for fabricating a lens includes injecting a source material through an injection port of a molding frame which includes a plurality of forming molds adjacent to each other and at least four connection passages connected to the forming molds, filling the source material in the forming molds and discharging the source material out of the forming molds through the connection passages, applying a pressure to the source material, and curing the source material.