LIFT of Solid Films (Ceramics and Polymers)

The key components to successful laser‐induced forward transfer (LIFT) implementation are the removal of the donor from the carrier (the released donor often being referred to as a "flyer") and the capture of the flyer by the receiver. This chapter discusses donor release and capture, application to the fabrication of an energy‐harvesting device, and a variant of LIFT called laser‐induced backward transfer (LIBT). It discusses a range of techniques for the optimization of the removal of the material, via laser interference, beam shaping, and premachining of the donor. The chapter elucidates the transfer process via shadowgraphy (imaging of the donor in flight) and offers experimental and theoretical evidence for the usefulness of a compliant (i.e., soft and deformable) coating on the receiver substrate. It then discusses a relevant application of thermoelectric materials, namely a microscale thermoelectric generator. The chapter shows how LIBT can enable subwavelength resolution patterning on the deposited material.