. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 May 1.

Published in final edited form as: Expert Rev Med Devices. 2010 May;7(3):343–356. doi: 10.1586/erd.10.14

Table 1. Comparison of laser direct writing processes.

Technique	Laser type	Resoulation	Applications	Compatible materials	Limitation
Selective laser sintering/melting	CW, LP	50 μm	Prosthetics	Ceramics	Powder precursor
			Tissue engineering	Polymers	High temperature
				Metals	Layered fabrication

Micro-laser sintering	LP	20 μm	Prosthetics	Ceramics	Powder precursor
				Metals	High temperature
					Layered fabrication

Laser machining	CW, EX, LP, SP, USP	15 nm	Microfluidics	Ceramics	Top-down
			Stents	Polymers
			Tissue engineering	Metals

Matrix-assisted pulsed-laser evaporation direct write	EX	10 μm	Microelectronics	Polymers	Multiple processing parameters
			Chemical sensors	Metals	Multiple processing parameters
			Tissue engineering	Ceramics	Layered fabrication
				Biomolecules	Layered fabrication

Stereolithography	CW	1 μm	Prosthetics	Polymers	Photopolymerization
			Tissue engineering	Ceramic composites	Layered fabrication
				Biomolecule composites

Two-photon polymerization	USP	<100 nm	Drug deliveryprosthetics	Polymers	Photopolymerization
			Drug deliveryprosthetics	Ceramic composites
			Tissue engineering

CW: Continuous wave (e.g., CO₂, Ar⁺); EX: Excimer (e.g., ArF, KrF); LP: Long pulse (ms – 100 ps); SP: Short pulse (<100 ps); USP: Ultra-short pulse (fs).