快速原型是將3D CAD模型轉換為實體原件的一種疊層加工，一般的快速原型系統中，加工材料大致可分為固態、粉末、液態材料三種。早期快速原型系統主要的研究乃是在要求如何改善成品的特微、成品的品質、加工的成本與設計週期的長短，故快速原型的相關研究便針對上述目的來加以改善，如提高CAD模型的表面精度、使用較佳的加工材料或是加工流程的改良等等。
在液態類快速原型系統中，其主要的加工材料乃是光硬化樹脂，而原型的加工是經由光照射於光硬化樹脂來硬化成型，此種光硬化成型的照射方式有點、線、面三種。此類原型在硬化時會產生體積的收縮，且大都會有強度與硬度不佳的缺點，這會使得原型件在製造完成後，有保存不易及形變的問題產生。另外，面成型快速原型技術中，加工一層只需一次的光罩照射，當使用DMD來做為面成型快速原型系統的動態光罩時，在微尺寸的應用上會因DMD解析度而有所限制。若在加工微工件時，降低DMD解析度來改變微尺寸的影像，會因此使得解析誤差被放大。故本研究採用奈米二氧化矽當為光硬化樹脂的添加物，來改善光硬化樹脂的物理性質，並提出一種新的光罩自動校正法來保留原影像的高解析度。由實驗結果可知，光硬化樹脂/二氧化矽奈米複合材料可以改善如拉伸強度、硬度與裂解溫度等的物理性質。光罩自動校正法可增加面成型快速原型系統的自動化能力，並有效降低人為誤差造成的負面效果。

Rapid Prototyping (RP) is a layer by layer fabrication process that is capable of converting a 3-dimensional (3D) computer-Aided-Design (CAD) model into a physical object. There generally are solid, powdery and liquid materials available for RP. The main research issues of previously RP systems stem from the desire to improve the product feature, quality, cost and time to market. Some different researches, such as the more accurate representation of CAD models, the better manufactured materials or the improvement of manufacturing processes, etc., were presented to achieve the goal in rapid prototyping technology.
In liquid-RP system, the main available material is photopolymer which is cured through photon radiation in point, line and area to fabricate the prototype. The prototype fabricated from photopolymer was difficult for storage due to volumetric shrinkage and deformation during curing. The prototype fabricated from photopolymer suffers from the volumetric shrinkage during curing and the continuing deformation for a creeping period after curing. In addition, the process of area-forming rapid prototyping is that each layer is cured through single radiation of photomask. While adopting the DMD as the dynamic mask for area-forming rapid prototyping system, the resolution of the DMD is a limiting factor to the micro-sized applications. If a rescaled micro-sized image generated from Digital Micro-mirror Device (DMD) is directly used for fabricating the micro part, the error will be large. Therefore, we used nano-SiO2 as a major additive to modify the physical properties of photopolymer and present a novel photomask auto-correction method to remain the original photomask with high resolution. The experimental results showed that photopolymer/SiO2 nano-composite can improve some physical properties, such as tensile strength, hardness and the degradation temperature, etc. The photomask auto-correction method can enhance the ability of automation in area-forming rapid prototyping system and reduce efficiently negative influence of human error.

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