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Impulsively actuated jets from thin liquid films for high-resolution printing applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 August 2012

Matthew S. Brown ,
C. Frederik Brasz ,
Yiannis Ventikos  and
Craig B. Arnold
Matthew S. Brown*
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
C. Frederik Brasz
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
Yiannis Ventikos
Affiliation:
Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
Craig B. Arnold
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
*
†Email address for correspondence: [email protected]
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Abstract

Blister-actuated laser-induced forward transfer (BA-LIFT) is a versatile printing technique in which fine jets of ink are ejected from a thin donor film onto an acceptor substrate, enabling high-resolution patterns to be formed. Fluid ejections are initiated by the rapid expansion of micrometre-sized blisters that form on a polymer film underneath the ink layer. Recent work has demonstrated that these ejections exhibit novel flow phenomena due to the unique dimensions and geometry of the BA-LIFT configuration. In this work, we study the dynamics of BA-LIFT printing using a computational model in which fluid is forced by a boundary that deforms according to experimental time-resolved measurements of an expanding blister profile. This allows the model’s predictions to be unambiguously correlated with experimental blister-actuated ejections without any fitting parameters. First, we validate the model’s predictive capabilities against experimental results, including the ability to accurately reproduce the size, shape and temporal evolution of the jet as well as the total volume of ink released. The validated model is then used to interrogate the flow dynamics in order to better understand the mechanisms for fluid ejection. Finally, parametric studies are conducted to investigate the influence of ink density, surface tension, viscosity and film thickness as well as the size of the blister used. These results provide key insights into avenues for optimization and better control of the BA-LIFT process for improved resolution and repeatability of the printed features.

JFM classification

Drops and Bubbles: Breakup/coalescence Wakes/Jets: Jets Interfacial Flows (free surface): Thin films
Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 709 , 25 October 2012 , pp. 341 - 370
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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Supplementary material: Image

Brown et al. supplementary movie

Velocity field generated by a rapidly expanding blister formed by a 5.115-μJ laser pulse. The movie shows the behavior of the flow during the first 300 ns of the blister's expansion.

Download Brown et al. supplementary movie(Image)
Image 5.6 MB
Supplementary material: PDF

Brown et al. supplementary material

Supplementary figure

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PDF 33.6 KB
Supplementary material: Image

Brown et al. supplementary movie

Velocity field generated by a rapidly expanding blister formed by a 5.115-μJ laser pulse. The movie shows the growth of a free-surface protrusion into a jet, which pinches off a droplet.

Download Brown et al. supplementary movie(Image)
Image 27.8 MB
Supplementary material: Image

Brown et al. supplementary movie

Rendering of simulation results for the ejection of fluid initiated with a 6.1-μJ laser pulse. The jet impacts with the acceptor substrate, leaving a deposited droplet on its surface.

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Image 11.5 MB
Supplementary material: Image

Brown et al. supplementary movie

Evolution of tracer particles within the film during a transfer initiated with a 5.115-μJ laser pulse.

Download Brown et al. supplementary movie(Image)
Image 5.2 MB