Our self-build UV laser direct writing system comprises a high-precision linear motor stage, a stabilized ultraviolet 375 nm laser, and a fiber-based spatial filter to clean up the writing beam. The setup resides on a vibration isolation table. Arbitrary trajectories can programmed and exposed onto light-sensitive material to produce structures like optical waveguides or fluidic channels.

A spiral path has been programmed to illustrate the versatility of the tool. For the demonstration the light sensitive substrate has been replaced by a slip of paper. The inset shows a time exposure of the completed path, whose invarying brightness is indicative of constant vectorial velocity ensuring constant exposure.