Liquid Jet Formation in Laser-Induced Forward Transfer

Abstract

Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) is a direct-write technique capable of printing precise patterns of a wide variety of materials. In this process, a laser pulse is focused through a transparent support and absorbed in a thin donor film, propelling material onto an adjacent acceptor substrate. For fluid materials, this transfer occurs through the formation of a narrow liquid jet, which eventually pinches off due to surface tension.

This thesis examines in detail the fluid mechanics of the jet formation process occurring in LIFT. The main focus is on a variant of LIFT known as blister-actuated LIFT (BA-LIFT), in which the laser pulse is absorbed in an ink-coated polymer layer, rapidly deforming it locally into a blister to induce liquid jet formation. The early-time response of a fluid layer to a deforming boundary is analyzed with a domain perturbation method and potential-flow simulations, revealing scalings for energy and momentum transfer to the fluid and providing physical insight on how and why a jet forms in BA-LIFT.

The remaining chapters explore more complex applications and modifications of LIFT. One is the possibility of high-repetition rate printing and limits on time delay and separation between pulses imposed by a tilting effect found for adjacent jets. Another examines a focusing effect achieved by perturbing the interface with ring-shaped disturbances. The third contains an experimental study of LIFT using a silver paste as the donor material instead of a Newtonian liquid. The transfer mechanism is significantly different, although with repeated pulses at one location, a focusing effect is again observed. All three of these chapters investigate how perturbations to the interface can strongly influence the jet formation process.