Printing via Laser-Induced Forward Transfer and the Future of Digital Manufacturing

In the last decades, digital manufacturing has constituted the headline of what is starting to be known as the 'fourth industrial revolution', where the fabrication processes comprise a hybrid of technologies that blur the lines between fundamental sciences, engineering, and even medicine as never seen before. One of the reasons why this mixture is inevitable has to do with the fact that we live in an era that incorporates technology in every single aspect of our daily lives. In the industry, this has translated into fabrication versatility, as follows: design changes on a final product are just one click away, fabrication chains have evolved towards continuous roll-to roll processes, and, most importantly, the overall costs and fabrication speeds are matching and overcoming most of the traditional fabrication methods. Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) stands out as a versatile set of fabrication techniques, being the closest approach to an all-in-one additive manufacturing method compatible with virtually any material. In this technique, laser radiation is used to propel the material of interest and deposit it at user-defined locations with high spatial resolution. By selecting the proper laser parameters and considering the interaction of the laser light with the material, it is possible to transfer this technique from robust inorganic materials to fragile biological samples. In this work, we first present a brief introduction on the current developments of the LIFT technique by surveying recent scientific review publications. Then, we provide a general research overview by making an account of the publication and citation numbers of scientific papers on the LIFT technique considering the last three decades. At the same time, we highlight the geographical distribution and main research institutions that contribute to this scientific output. Finally, we present the patent status and commercial forecasts to outline future trends for LIFT in different scientific fields.