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Abstract Direct printing of functional materials, structures, and devices on various platforms such as flexible to rigid substrates is of interest for applications ranging from electronics to energy and sensing to biomedical devices. Current additive manufacturing (AM) and printing processes are either limited by the available sources of functional materials or require to be in the form of precisely designed inks. Here, a novel laser‐based additive nanomanufacturing (ANM) system capable of in situ and on‐demand generations of nanoparticles that can serve as nanoscale building blocks for real‐time sintering and dry printing a variety of multifunctional materials and patterns at atmospheric pressure and room temperature is reported. The ability to print different functional materials on various rigid and flexible platforms is shown. This nonequilibrium process involves pulsed laser ablation of targets and in situ formation of pure amorphous nanoparticles’ stream that are guided through a nozzle onto the surface of the substrate, where they are sintered/crystallized in real‐time. Further, the process–structure relationship of the printed materials from nanoscale to microscale is shown. This new ANM concept opens up an opportunity for printing advanced functional materials and devices on rigid and flexible substrates that can be employed both on the earth and in space.
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This content will become publicly available on December 13, 2025
Recent Advances and Prospects in Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and Melting (SLM) and Multiphoton Lithography for 3D Printing
Laser based additive manufacturing (AM) methods, that incorporate a high-density laser to sinter, melt, or solidify the desired material, have developed into an ideal technology for the design and fabrication of robust and highly customizable functional devices which aim to address key challenges in the aerospace, biomedical, and defense sectors. Recent advancements in powder bed fusion (PBF) approaches, such as selective laser sintering (SLS) and melting (SLM) have significantly improved the range of printable materials, minimum feature size, and microstructure evolution, endowing precise control over the physical properties of the final printed part. Furthermore, studies on novel photoresist materials and laser scanning strategies used during multiphoton lithography (MPL) approaches indicated that nanoscale spatial resolution could be achieved, allowing for the design of intricate biomedical implants or smooth optical devices. This chapter focuses on an extensive review of current research being conducted on laser-based AM technologies highlighting the current compatible materials and applications of SLS, SLM, and MLP printed functional devices. Future perspectives and notable challenges of the laser-based AM technologies are discussed in detail with the purpose of identifying critical research areas for each methodology.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2338752
- PAR ID:
- 10578973
- Publisher / Repository:
- Royal Society of Chemistry
- Date Published:
- ISBN:
- 978-1-83767-128-1
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 185 to 217
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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