Caltech Scientists Engineer Tiny 3D Metallic Parts

New process can create nanoscale metallic components with surprising strength despite defects.

Mar. 18, 2026 at 1:08am

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Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have developed a technique to precisely engineer tiny three-dimensional (3D) metallic pieces with nanoscale dimensions. The process can work with any metal or metal alloy and yields components of surprising strength despite having a porous and defect-ridden microstructure, making it potentially useful in a wide range of applications, including medical devices, computer chips, and equipment needed for space missions.

Why it matters

This breakthrough in nanoscale 3D metal fabrication could enable the creation of highly specialized components for advanced technologies, even when the final parts contain structural defects. By accurately modeling the microstructure of these tiny metallic pieces, the researchers have found a way to reliably predict their properties, overcoming a key challenge in developing nanoscale engineered materials.

The details

The scientists use a technique called two-photon lithography to sequentially build an object of a desired size and shape by carefully controlling the geometry at the level of individual voxels. They start with a light-sensitive liquid, using a femtosecond laser beam to build a desired shape out of a gel-like material called hydrogel. The miniature hydrogel sculpture is then infused with metallic salts and heated twice in a specialized furnace to produce a shrunken metallic replica of the original shape. This thermal process can reduce the preheated volume by as much as 90 percent, yielding tiny lattices or heat exchangers smaller than 50 microns with building blocks measured in nanometers.

  • The research was published in the journal Nature Communications in 2026.

The players

Julia R. Greer

The Ruben F. and Donna Mettler Professor of Materials Science, Mechanics and Medical Engineering at Caltech, and the executive officer for applied physics and materials science at the university.

Huajian Gao

A researcher from Tsinghua University in Beijing who collaborated on the project.

Wenxin Zhang

The lead author of the paper, who was a PhD student ('25) at the time of the research.

Zhi Li

The other lead author of the paper, who is now at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

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What they’re saying

“That's where the magic happens.”

— Julia R. Greer (Mirage News)

“I think this work basically shows that in the future, even when we 'nano-architect' our world with custom parts, we'll be able to reliably predict their properties, something society hasn't been able to accomplish yet.”

— Julia R. Greer (Mirage News)

“And we don't have to disqualify a part simply because it contains defects.”

— Julia R. Greer (Mirage News)

What’s next

The researchers plan to continue exploring the potential applications of their nanoscale 3D metal fabrication process, including in medical devices, computer chips, and space equipment.

The takeaway

This breakthrough in nanoscale 3D metal printing demonstrates that even parts with structural defects can be reliably engineered and modeled, opening up new possibilities for specialized components in advanced technologies.