Apparatus and method for the additive manufacturing of three-dimensional structures

A method for the additive manufacturing of three-dimensional structures from a material that is to be solidified by way of location-selective solidification thereof as a result of light-induced chemical and/or physical processes in the material, the method comprising:

• irradiating the material with a laser beam produced by an apparatus comprising:
• a laser source for producing the laser beam,
• a focusing optical unit for focusing the laser beam so as to form a laser focus, and
• a beam-splitter optical unit for splitting the laser beam into at least two partial laser beams, wherein the laser source, the focusing optical unit and the beam-splitter optical unit are arranged such that the laser beam, starting from the laser source, passes first through the focusing optical unit and then through the beam-splitter optical unit and the partial laser beams are each directed to different locations on the material that is to be solidified;
• wherein the laser beam is guided starting from the laser source first to the focusing optical unit for focusing the laser beam to form the laser focus and is subsequently guided through the beam-splitter optical unit for splitting the laser beam into the at least two partial laser beams, which are finally directed in each case to the different locations on the material that is to be solidified.