Researchers at the University of Twente in the Netherlands have come up with a method to 3D print tiny droplets of copper and gold. This method, scientists say, will help print objects that conduct heat and electricity better, leading to new kinds of devices on the market.
The team uses microscopic droplets produced from a thin metal film using a pulsed laser. The main is the accuracy of this method, which allows you to place drops on the cover and lay them for creating metal structures. Scientists claim they stacked thousands of metal droplets into a tiny column just 2 millimeters high and 5 microns in diameter. Moreover, it is possible to create any shape with the help of technology, including electrodes and copper circuits.
The process differs from microlaser sintering or direct metal laser sintering, in which a laser is used in combination with metal powders.
This method uses a very powerful laser. This allows you to create “fast” drops that are deformed into simplified disks upon contact with the substrate. Previously, less powerful lasers were used, which created metal droplets that maintained a spherical shape, resulting in less stable elements.