Laser-driven programmable non-contact transfer printing of objects onto arbitrary receivers via an active elastomeric microstructured stamp

Abstract Transfer printing, as an important assembly technique, has attracted much attention due to its valuable merits to develop novel forms of electronics such as stretchable inorganic electronics requiring the heterogeneous integration of inorganic materials with soft elastomers. Here, we report on a laser-driven programmable non-contact transfer printing technique via a simple yet robust design of active elastomeric microstructured stamp that features cavities filled with air and embedded under the contacting surface, a micro-patterned surface membrane that encapsulates the air cavities and a metal layer on the inner-cavity surfaces serving as the laser-absorbing layer. The micro-patterned surface membrane can be inflated dynamically to control the interfacial adhesion, which can be switched from strong state to weak state by more than three orders of magnitude by local laser heating of the air in the cavity with a temperature increase below 100°C. Theoretical and experimental studies reveal the fundamental aspects of the design and fabrication of the active elastomeric microstructured stamp and the operation of non-contact transfer printing. Demonstrations in the programmable transfer printing of micro-scale silicon platelets and micro-scale LED chips onto various challenging receivers illustrate the extraordinary capabilities for deterministic assembly that are difficult to address by existing printing schemes, thereby creating engineering opportunities in areas requiring the heterogeneous integration of diverse materials such as curvilinear electronics and MicroLED displays.