| abstract |
A method of forming a three-dimensional object, comprising: providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a construction surface, said carrier and said construction surface define a construction region between them; filling said construction region with a polymerizable liquid; irradiating said construction region through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid while simultaneously advancing said carrier away from said construction surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer, while also simultaneously : (i) continuously maintaining a dead zone of polymerizable liquid in contact with said construction surface, and (ii) continuously maintaining a gradient of the polymerization zone between said dead zone and said solid polymer and in contact with each of them. , said gradient of the polymerization zone comprises said polymerizable liquid in partially cured form. |