Nanodot array deposition via single shot laser interference pattern using laser-induced forward transfer

Abstract Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) is a direct-writing technique capable of depositing a single dot smaller than the laser wavelength at small shot energy through the laser-induced dot transfer (LIDT) technique. To deposit a single nanodot in a single shot of laser irradiation, a liquid nanodrop is transferred from donor to receiver and finally solidified via a solid–liquid–solid (SLS) process. In conventional LIDT experiments, multi-shots with step scanning have been used to form array structures. However, interference laser processing can achieve an arrayed process and generate a periodic structure in a single shot. In this study, a femtosecond laser interference pattern was first applied to LIDT, and an array of nanodots was successfully deposited in a single shot, producing the following unit structures: a single dot, adjoining dots, and stacking dots. The diameter of the smallest nanodot was 355 nm, and the narrowest gap between two adjoining nanodots was 17.2 nm. The LIDT technique produces high-purity, catalyst-free that do not require post-cleaning or alignment processes. Given these significant advantages, LIDT can expand the usability of nanodots in a wide range of fields.