Boolean Lithography for Volumetric Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

Volumetric additive manufacturing (VAM) offers unprecedented production speeds; however, its need for deep optical penetration entails severe background exposure and light scattering, limiting its achievable resolution. Here, we present Boolean Lithography (BL), enabling in situ synchronous "additive-subtractive" manufacturing via an "AND-NOT" logic synergy between initiation and inhibition light fields. Specifically, custom positive-negative projections govern the "AND" logic, while a newly identified electrostatic-enhanced single-electron transfer (EE-SET) mechanism mediates the "NOT" logic. By mitigating parasitic exposure, BL broadens the printable window by 201%, achieving optical-resolution-level printing precision, 3×3×3 spatial arrays, and printability in high-scattering inks (180 NTU). Applicable across aqueous and oleaginous systems, BL provides a scalable strategy for high-precision microfabrication and resolution enhancement in other light-scattering-limited optical processing technologies.