Comparative time resolved shadowgraphic imaging studies of nanosecond and picosecond laser transfer of organic materials

A comparative study of the ejection dynamic of organic materials by Laser-Induced Forward Transfer technique has been performed using nanosecond and picosecond pulses for applications in plastic micro-electronics. The ejection of organic materials has been carried out with various thicknesses and with and without a sacrificial metallic release layer inserted between the substrate and the organic donor film. The advantage of this technique is to preserve organic layers from being damaged by thermal and photochemical effects during the interaction. The dynamic of the process has been investigated by shadowgraphic imaging during 1.5 μs after the laser irradiation, under atmospheric conditions. We have determined the velocity of the transferred material and studied the influence of the metallic layer during the ejection using a wide range of fluencies. The high directivity of the ejected material offers the possibilities of high spatial resolution for the manufacture of micro-structures in non contact LIFT echnique. The study of the influence of the distance between the donor and acceptor substrates on the deposit functionality is discussed.