Laser induced forward transfer: Basics and Applications

This lecture covers the basics of Laser Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT), an additive manufacturing technique that enables the transfer of materials using a UV laser. It explores the history of layer transfer with lasers, the general principle of LIFT, nanodroplet growth and transfer, and Matrix-Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation-DirectWrite (MAPLE-DW). The governing equations for the LIFT process, laser-material interaction, and the temporal evolution of laser pulse intensity are discussed. The lecture also delves into the visualization of LIFT ejection processes, the evolution of droplet morphology with laser fluence, and the transfer of materials like biomaterials, metals, and organic materials. Various applications of LIFT in fabricating functional devices such as microbatteries, solar cells, organic light-emitting diodes, and biosensors are highlighted.