Liquids microprinting through laser-induced forward transfer

Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) is a direct-writing technique which allows the deposition of tiny amounts of material from a donor thin film onto a receptor substrate. When LIFT is applied to liquid donor films, the laser radiation affects only a localized fraction of the liquid, thereby impelling the unaffected portion towards the receptor substrate. Thus, transfer takes place with no melting or vaporization of the deposited fraction and, in this way, LIFT can be used to successfully print complex materials like inorganic inks and pastes, biomolecules in solution, and even living cells and microorganisms. In addition, and for a wide range of liquid rheologies, the material can be deposited in the form of circular microdroplets; this provides LIFT with a high degree of spatial resolution leading to feature sizes below 10 μm, and making it competitive in front of conventional printing techniques. In this work, a revision of the main achievements of the LIFT of liquids is carried out, correlating the morphological characteristics of the generated features with the results of the study of the transfer process. Special emphasis is put on the characterization of the dynamics of liquid ejection, which has provided valuable information for the understanding of microdroplets deposition. Thus, new time-resolved imaging analyses have shown a material release behavior which contrasts with most of the previously made assumptions, and that allows clarifying some of the questions open during the study of the LIFT technique.     

ZnO nanorod micropatterning via laser-induced forward transfer

We report a method for micropatterning (25–900 μm² pixel size) of ZnO nanorods onto a silicon substrate via a low-temperature (overall under 100 °C) two-step process, involving a laser-based direct-write technique (laser-induced forward transfer) and sequential chemical growth. The rods produced via this route are aligned in the [0001] crystal direction. Photoluminescence shows, next to the band-gap emission, strong green-yellow emission centred at ∼570 nm. Additionally, the rod arrays show excellent field-emission properties with a threshold field for emission of 5 V/μm. PACS 61.82.Rx; 81.10.Dn; 81.16.Mk     

Printing biological solutions through laser-induced forward transfer

Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) is a direct-writing technique adequate for the high-resolution printing of a wide range of materials, including biological molecules. In this article, the preparation through LIFT of microarrays of droplets from a solution containing rabbit antibody immunoglobulin G (IgG) is presented. The microarrays were prepared at different laser pulse energy conditions, obtaining microdroplets with a circular and well-defined contour. The transfer process has a double threshold: a minimum energy density required to generate an impulsion on the liquid film, and a minimum pulse energy, which corresponds to the onset for material ejection. In addition, it was demonstrated that the transfer process can be correctly described through a simple model which relates the energy density threshold with the amount of released material. Finally, a fluorescence assay was carried out in which the preservation of the activity of the transferred biomolecules was demonstrated.     

Time-resolved digital holographic microscopy of laser-induced forward transfer

We develop a method for time-resolved digital holographic microscopy to obtain time-resolved 3-D deformation measurements of laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) processes. We demonstrate nanometer axial resolution and nanosecond temporal resolution of our method which is suitable for measuring dynamic morphological changes in LIFT target materials. Such measurements provide insight into the early dynamics of the LIFT process and a means to examine the effect of laser and material parameters on LIFT process dynamics.     

Nanoscale laser-induced forward transfer through patterned Cr films

The resolution enhancement of laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) is investigated through the pre-patterning of Cr on the donor substrate. 85 nm dots are first patterned on a microscope slide, and an 800 nm wavelength and 130 fs pulse laser with a beam waist of ～9 μm is used to transfer the Cr dots to an acceptor substrate. The threshold fluence is found to be ～0.15 the threshold fluence of a similar continuous film, which is thought to be due to the fact that no force is needed to tear away Cr from the film itself, unlike in a continuous film experiment. Since the volume of the material limits the transfer feature sizes instead of the laser parameters, as in a continuous film system, minimum transferable feature diameters are significantly lower compared to the continuous film case. Also, the transferred feature diameters are not dependent on the laser parameters, so the diameters are consistent across a wide range of fluences. The force per unit area generated by the laser at threshold fluence is estimated to be ～3 GPa, which is consistent with previous results in the literature. The simplified model that our pre-patterned Cr LIFT experiment represents would make it an ideal case for benchmarking molecular dynamics simulations of femtosecond laser ablation.     

Deposition and characterization of lines printed through laser-induced forward transfer

The possibility of printing two-dimensional micropatterns of biomolecule solutions is of great interest in many fields of research in biomedicine, from cell-growth and development studies to the investigation of the mechanisms of communication between cells. Although laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) has been extensively used to print micrometric droplets of biological solutions, the fabrication of complex patterns depends on the feasibility of the technique to print micron-sized lines of aqueous solutions. In this study we investigate such a possibility through the analysis of the influence of droplet spacing of a water and glycerol solution on the morphology of the features printed by LIFT. We prove that it is indeed possible to print long and uniform continuous lines by controlling the overlap between adjacent droplets. We show how, depending on droplet spacing, several printed morphologies are generated, and we offer, in addition, a simple explanation of the observed behavior based on the jetting dynamics characteristic of the LIFT of liquids.     

Time-resolved imaging of hydrogel printing via laser-induced forward transfer

In this work, the printing mechanism of an alginate-based hydrogel via laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) is investigated by spatial and temporal high-resolved stroboscopic imaging. First, the generation of the liquid jet is studied at two different laser fluences in a process without collector slide. Furthermore, the impingement process onto the collector slide at the same fluence levels is observed. With the help of these images the development of the jet is explained. Besides the influences of the collector slide as well as the applied laser fluence on the transfer are demonstrated.     

Time-resolved microscopic imaging of the laser-induced forward transfer process

Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) technique is available for the fabrication of micro-sized thin film. In this paper, the LIFT process of gold film was investigated by the microscopic two-dimensional laser induced fluorescence (2D-LIF). The dynamic behavior of the gold atoms and emissive particles were observed in vacuum and atmospheric air. Characteristic behavior was observed for different species. The atoms flew with the fastest speed of more than 2 km/s. The influence of ablation laser energy, film thickness, and the presence of the the substrate on the dynamics of the species are reported.     

Study of the laser-induced forward transfer of liquids for laser bioprinting

Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) is a direct-writing technique that allows printing patterns of diverse materials with a high degree of spatial resolution. In conventional LIFT a small fraction of a solid thin film is vaporized by means of a laser pulse focused on the film through its transparent holder, and the resulting material recondenses on the receptor substrate. It has been recently shown that LIFT can also be used to transfer materials from liquid films. This widened its field of application to biosensors manufacturing, where small amounts of biomolecules-containing solutions have to be deposited with high precision on the sensing elements. However, there is still little knowledge on the physical processes and parameters determining the characteristics of the transfers.In this work, different parameters and their effects upon the transferred material were studied. It was found that the deposited material corresponds to liquid droplets which volume depends linearly on the laser pulse energy, and that a minimum threshold energy has to be overcome for transfer to occur. The liquid film thickness was varied and droplets as small as 10 μm in diameter were obtained. Finally, the effects of the variation of the film to substrate distance were also studied and it was found that there exists a wide range of distances where the morphology of the transferred droplets is independent of this parameter, what provides LIFT with a high degree of flexibility.     

Single-step patterning and the fabrication of contact masks by laser-induced forward transfer

Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) of Au evaporated as a thin film on regular two-dimensional lattices of microspheres has been employed for both the generation of arrays of Au dots on different substrates and of well-defined apertures on the surface of the microspheres. The latter system can be used for high contrast surface patterning. Similar experiments have been performed by using a thin metal foil in close contact to the microspheres and the substrate instead of an evaporated film. PACS 42.60.Eb; 42.78.-b; 81.60.-j     

Experimental investigations of laser-induced forward transfer process of organic thin films

This paper deals with transfer induced by laser of thin layers of a conducting polymer, the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate), for applications in plastic electronics. This relatively simple technique of direct writing offers the ability to make surface micro-patterning by localized deposits of material. The study of the various mechanisms (ablation, transfer and deposit) has been carried out according to different conditions of irradiation: wavelength (from ultraviolet to infrared radiation), pulse duration (nanosecond and sub-nanosecond) and fluence. The morphology of the transferred patterns has been analyzed by optical microscopy and scanning electronic microscopy. Our objective is to understand the different mechanisms involved in the process in order to optimize it in terms of geometrical resolution while preserving the properties of the transferred material.     

Aluminum film microdeposition at 775 nm by femtosecond laser-induced forward transfer

Micro-deposition of an aluminum film of 500-nm thickness on a quartz substrate was demonstrated by laserinduced forward transfer (LIFT) using a femtosecond laser pulse. With the help of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the dependence of the morphology of deposited aluminum film on the irradiated laser pulse energy was investigated. As the laser fluence was slightly above the threshold fluence, the higher pressure of plasma for the thicker film made the free surface of solid phase burst out, which resulted in that not only the solid material was sputtered but also the deposited film in the liquid state was made irregularly.     

The effect of melting-induced volumetric expansion on initiation of laser-induced forward transfer

A numerical model was developed to investigate thermal processes that initiate laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT). The model included laser absorption, conduction, melting, and volumetric expansion in a thin film. The model was used to investigate the role of volumetric expansion associated with the melting process and was used to help explain surface deformations observed in previous studies of LIFT. The results of the model indicated that volumetric expansion initiated fluid motion that was directed away from the substrate, and the fluid motion was sufficient to induce surface deformations that remained after solidification. The resulting textured surface was similar to that observed experimentally below the droplet expulsion threshold. The fluid motion away from the substrate may explain the mechanism by which droplet formation occurs.     

Experimental study on microdeposition of the copper thin film by femtosecond laser-induced forward transfer

The morphologies of the deposited dots on the 40~nm-thick copper film by the femtosecond laser-induced forward transfer that depend on the irradiated laser fluence have been studied, and the variations of orderliness of the diameter of deposited dots on the quartz substrate and forward ablated dot on the donor substrate with increasing pulse fluence have been obtained experimentally. The experimental results show that a thinner copper film would generate larger-sized ablated dot and deposited dot at the threshold fluence for transfer. By x-ray diffraction measurement, it is demonstrated that the crystal form of the transferred copper films is unaltered and the size of the crystallites is diminished.     

Polymer-coated compliant receivers for intact laser-induced forward transfer of thin films: experimental results and modelling

In this study, we investigate both experimentally and numerically laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) of thin films to determine the role of a thin polymer layer coating the receiver with the aim of modifying the rate of deceleration and reduction of material stress preventing intact material transfer. A numerical model of the impact phase during LIFT shows that such a layer reduces the modelled stress. The evolution of stress within the transferred deposit and the substrate as a function of the thickness of the polymer layer, the transfer velocity and the elastic properties of the polymer are evaluated. The functionality of the polymer layer is verified experimentally by LIFT printing intact 1- \(\upmu \) m-thick bismuth telluride films and polymeric light-emitting diode pads onto a layer of 12- \(\upmu \) m-thick polydimethylsiloxane and 50-nm-thick poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) blended with poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), respectively. Furthermore, it is demonstrated experimentally that the introduction of such a compliant layer improves adhesion between the deposit and its substrate.     

用激光诱导击穿光谱快速分析油漆中的重金属含量

 将电光调Q Nd：YAG激光脉冲聚焦于油漆样品表面以产生激光诱导等离子体。等离子体的光辐射经过一组透镜收集进入单色仪并由光电倍增管探测。通过对等离子体辐射光谱的研究,能够实现对油漆样品中重金属元素含量的快速定性分析。实验分析了多种市售油漆中重金属元素Pb, Cu, Cr, Mn的含量。实验表明：对于同一种类的油漆样品,在相同检测条件下,重金属元素的特征光谱线强度与元素质量分数成正比,因此利用激光诱导击穿光谱来快速分析油漆中重金属元素含量是完全可行的。     

Etching and forward transfer of fused silica in solid-phase by femtosecond laser-induced solid etching (LISE)

We present a femtosecond laser-based technique for etching and forward transfer of bulk transparent materials in solid-phase. Femtosecond laser pulses with were focused through a fused silica block onto an absorbing thin film of Cr. A constraining Si wafer was pressed into tight contact with the Cr film to prevent lift-off of the film. A combination of the high temperature and pressure of the Cr, and compressive stress from the Si, resulted in etching of smooth features from the fused silica by cracking. Unlike in conventional ablative or chemical etching, the silica was removed from the bulk as single solid-phase pieces which could be collected on the Si. Using this so-called laser-induced solid etching (LISE) technique, 1-2 m deep pits and channels have been produced in the silica surface, and corresponding dots and lines deposited on the Si. The threshold fluence for etching was found to be with duration pulses. The morphology of the etched features are investigated as functions of fluence and exposure to multiple pulses.     

Propagation characteristics of laser-induced stress wave in deep tissue for gene transfer

Propagation characteristics of laser-induced stress waves (LISWs) in tissue and their correlation with properties of gene transfection were investigated for targeted deep-tissue gene therapy. LISWs were generated by irradiating a laser-absorbing material with 532-nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser pulses; a transparent plastic sheet was attached on the absorbing material for plasma confinement. Temporal pressure profiles of LISWs that were propagated through different thickness tissues were measured with a needle-type hydrophone and propagation of LISWs in water was visualized by shadowgraph technique. The measurements showed that at a laser fluence of 1.2 J/cm² with a laser spot diameter of 3 mm, flat wavefront was maintained for up to 5 mm in depth and peak pressure P decreased with increasing tissue thickness d; P was proportional to d^−0.54. Rat dorsal skin was injected with plasmid DNA coding for reporter gene, on which different numbers of excised skin(s) was/were placed, and LISWs were applied from the top of the skins. Efficient gene expression was observed in the skin under the 3 mm thick stacked skins, suggesting that deep-located tissue such as muscle can be transfected by transcutaneous application of LISWs.     

Application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy to the analysis of metals in soils

In this paper, the influence of plasma temperature on quantitative laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) measurements is discussed, and a simple theoretical approach is used to model the plasma generation. It is shown that an estimate of the temperature of the laser-induced plasma and its inclusion in a model for line emission allows for substantial reduction of the matrix effect. To illustrate the benefits of the proposed correction, some experimental results, obtained with the use of some reference sample soils, are finally presented.