biostudies-literatureHuang PHStiftelsen för Strategisk Forskning (Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research)Stiftelsen för Strategisk Forskning3305https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10244462biostudies-literatureUnknown14(1)Silica glass is a high-performance material used in many applications such as lenses, glassware, and fibers. However, modern additive manufacturing of micro-scale silica glass structures requires sintering of 3D-printed silica-nanoparticle-loaded composites at ~1200 °C, which causes substantial structural shrinkage and limits the choice of substrate materials. Here, 3D printing of solid silica glass with sub-micrometer resolution is demonstrated without the need of a sintering step. This is achieved by locally crosslinking hydrogen silsesquioxane to silica glass using nonlinear absorption of sub-picosecond laser pulses. The as-printed glass is optically transparent but shows a high ratio of 4-membered silicon-oxygen rings and photoluminescence. Optional annealing at 900 °C makes the glass Nature communicationsThree-dimensional printing of silica glass with sub-micrometer resolution.PMC10244462SSF GMT14-0071Niklaus FMayer JEdinger PNyman JStemme GGylfason KBHuang PHLai LLDuesberg GSErrando-Herranz CLaakso MHartwig OfalseThree-dimensional printing of silica glass with sub-micrometer resolution.Silica glass is a high-performance material used in many applications such as lenses, glassware, and fibers. However, modern additive manufacturing of micro-scale silica glass structures requires sintering of 3D-printed silica-nanoparticle-loaded composites at ~1200 °C, which causes substantial structural shrinkage and limits the choice of substrate materials. Here, 3D printing of solid silica glass with sub-micrometer resolution is demonstrated without the need of a sintering step. This is achieved by locally crosslinking hydrogen silsesquioxane to silica glass using nonlinear absorption of sub-picosecond laser pulses. The as-printed glass is optically transparent but shows a high ratio of 4-membered silicon-oxygen rings and photoluminescence. Optional annealing at 900 °C makes the glass 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Jun2025-04-19T08:09:59.222Z2025-04-19T08:09:59.222ZS-EPMC102444623728020810.1038/s41467-023-38996-3