Table 1.
Comparison of relevant methods for structuring fused silica glass
| Method | 3D capability | 3D microvoidsa | Resolution | Surface quality | Literature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Etching | |||||
| Wet chemical etching | − | − | ~1 µm | ~1–10 nm (Ra) | 37,38 |
| Dry etching | − | − | <1 µm | 0.5 (rms)–2 nm (Ra) | 39,40 |
| Mechanical | |||||
| Powder blasting | − | − | >10 µm | 0.1–10 µm (Ra) | 41 |
| Laser-assisted | |||||
| Laser-assisted etching | + | + | 1–2 µm | 0.1–0.2 µm (rms) | 42–44 |
| Backside etching | − | − | 2 µm | 0.05–0.5 µm | 45 |
| Replication | |||||
| Sol-gel | − | − | <1 µm | n.a. | 3 |
| Nanocomposites | − | − | <1 µm | 2 nm (rms) | 21,23 |
| Precision glass molding | − | − | ~1 µm | 2 nm | 2,46 |
| Additive | |||||
| Stereolithography nanocomposites | ++ | − | 60 µm | 2 nm (rms) | 22 |
| Sol-gel | ++ | − | 200 µm | n.a. | 47 |
| Stop flow lithography | − | − | 10 µm | 6 nm (rms) | 48 |
aSuitability to create microvoids with a size of 1–100 µm