Laser-Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT) Printing: Multiscale Analysis of Bubble Dynamics and Material Ejection
Researchers have published a comprehensive review of laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT), a nozzle-free printing method that uses laser energy to eject functional materials through bubble-mediated processes. LIFT enables precise deposition of difficult-to-print materials including nanoparticles, polymers, hydrogels, and biological substances by converting laser energy into thermal and plasma responses. Understanding the underlying bubble dynamics and material ejection mechanisms is critical for optimizing LIFT for advanced manufacturing applications.
This arXiv paper presents a multiscale perspective on laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) printing, focusing on the coupled laser-liquid interactions that drive material ejection. The review examines how donor ribbon design, absorbing-layer properties, laser parameters, and material rheology control bubble inception, growth, jet formation, and droplet breakup. The authors discuss multiple modeling approaches—from reduced-order estimates to interface-resolving simulations and data-driven process maps—that connect experimental observations across different time and length scales. The paper compares thermal-only, plasma-mediated, and coupled plasma-thermal-thermoelastic frameworks for early-stage bubble inception to illustrate how different assumptions affect downstream bubble and jetting behavior. The review concludes by identifying opportunities for bubble-aware donor design, time-resolved diagnostics, benchmark datasets, and predictive LIFT process maps based on intermediate bubble and jet observables.
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- arXiv physicsCenter
Laser-Liquid Interaction in Laser-Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT) Printing: A Multiscale Perspective on Bubble Dynamics and Material Ejection
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