Research & Development World

  • Home Page
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Archeology
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Chemistry
    • COVID-19
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Market Pulse
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
      • Software
    • Semiconductors
  • 2021 R&D 100 Award Winners
    • R&D 100 Awards
    • 2020 Winners
    • Winner Archive
  • Resources
    • Digital Issues
    • Podcasts
    • Subscribe
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Webinars

Laser Technique Dispenses Ultra-tiny Metal Droplets

By University of Twente | October 30, 2018

Thanks to a laser technique that ejects ultra-tiny droplets of metal, it is now possible to print 3D metal structures, not only simple “piles” of droplets, but complex overhanging structures as well: like a helix of some microns in size, made of pure gold.

Using this technique, it will be possible to print new 3D micro components for electronics or photonics.

University of Twente scientists have published their new results in the Additive Manufacturing journal.

By pointing an ultra-short laser pulse onto a nanometer thin metal film, a tiny metal droplet melts, it is ejected to its target and solidifies again after landing. Thanks to this technique, called laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT), the UT researchers are able to build, drop by drop, a structure with copper and gold microdroplets. The copper acts as a mechanical support for the gold.

In their paper in Additive Manufacturing the researchers show, for example, a printed helix: this could act as a mechanical spring or an electric inductor at the same time. This helix is printed with copper around it: together with the helix, a copper “box” is printed.

The laser printing technique: by printing copper and gold in turn, the gold helix initially is surrounded by a copper box. Etching the copper away, results in a free standing helix of pure gold.

In this way, a droplet that is meant for the new winding that is printed, is prevented from landing on the previous winding. After building the helix, drop by drop and layer by layer, the copper support box is etched away chemically. What remains is a helix of pure gold, no more than a few tens of microns in size.

The volume of the metal droplets is a few femtoliters: a femtoliter is 10 to 15 liters. To give an impression, a femtoliter droplet has a diameter of little over one micrometer.

The way the droplets are made, is by lighting the metal using an ultrashort pulse of green laser light. In this way, the copper and gold structure is built.

A crucial question for the researchers was if the two metals would mix at their interface: this would have consequences for the quality of the product after etching.

Research shows that there isn’t any mixing. The way a structure is built, drop by drop, results in a surface roughness, which is only about 0.3 to 0.7 microns.

The LIFT technique is a promising technique for other metals and combinations of metals as well. The researchers expect opportunities for materials used in 3D electronic circuit, micromechanic devices and sensing in, for example, biomedical applications.

It therefore is a powerful new production technique on a very small scale: an important step towards “functionalization” of 3D printing.

Source: University of Twente

Related Articles Read More >

MKS Unveils New Spectra-Physics Broadly-Tunable Ultrafast Laser for Multiphoton Imaging
Organic Laser Diodes Move From Dream to Reality
Proton Beam Energy Doubled with Colliding Lasers
Ultra-thin Superlattices for Nanophotonics Formed from Gold Nanoparticles
2021 R&D Global Funding Forecast

Need R&D World news in a minute?

We Deliver!
R&D World Enewsletters get you caught up on all the mission critical news you need in research and development. Sign up today.
Enews Signup

R&D World Digital Issues

February 2020 issue

Browse the most current issue of R&D World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading R& magazine today.

Research & Development World
  • Subscribe to R&D World Magazine
  • Enews Sign Up
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing
  • 2022 Global Funding Forecast

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search R&D World

  • Home Page
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Archeology
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Chemistry
    • COVID-19
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Market Pulse
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
      • Software
    • Semiconductors
  • 2021 R&D 100 Award Winners
    • R&D 100 Awards
    • 2020 Winners
    • Winner Archive
  • Resources
    • Digital Issues
    • Podcasts
    • Subscribe
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Webinars