Laser forward transfer using structured light.

A digital micromirror device (DMD) is used to spatially structure a 532 nm laser beam to print features spatially congruent to the laser spot in a laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) process known as laser decal transfer (LDT). The DMD is a binary (on/off) spatial light modulator and its resolution, half-toning and beam shaping properties are studied using LDT of silver nanopaste layers. Edge-enhanced "checkerboard" beam profiles led to a ~30% decrease in the laser transfer fluence threshold (compared to a reference "checkerboard" profile) for a 20-pixel bitmap pattern and its resulting 10-μm square feature.