Additive Manufacturing of Zn-Doped ZrO₂ Architectures

Tailoring the properties of microfabricated ceramics through doping can unlock new avenues for the additive manufacturing (AM) of advanced 3D architectures. The first step to achieving optical functionality is to control material morphology, crystallinity, and defects associated with the composition of the produced AM architecture and dopants. For this purpose, AM of zinc-doped zirconia (ZrO2:Zn) 3D microarchitectures is proposed using two-photon lithography and tailor-made resin. It is found that Zn doping modulates ZrO2:Zn architecture crystallinity and optical properties. The modification of optical properties through Zn doping is confirmed by micro-photoluminescence, where higher energy photon emission is observed due to the promotion of oxygen vacancies and surface defects. It is also shown that Zn 2.5% and 5 wt% stabilizes the monoclinic ZrO2 at a lower temperature than in the case of undoped ZrO2. Furthermore, there is evidence that Zn tends to form ZnO wurtzite, which is later sublimated. The findings provide a promising route to understand the role of defects ZrO2:Zn optically upon annealing.