Ablation-Driven Selective Laser Direct Mass Transfer for Micro-LEDs with High Speed, Enhanced Gap Tolerance, and High Precision
Abstract
Micro light-emitting diodes (micro-LEDs) offer superior performance for next-generation displays, yet their scalable manufacturing is severely bottlenecked by the mass transfer process from donor to receiver substrates. The existing laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) methods are restricted by low throughput, limited selectivity, and long reaction times. In this study, we introduce a novel defocused direct laser ablation transfer (D-DLAT) method utilizing polyimide as a dynamic release layer. Whereas most indirect laser transfer methods trigger chip release followed by passive descent toward the receiver, D-DLAT directly ablates the release layer to actively propel the small-sized chips towards the receiver via ablation shock. By optimizing the ablation profiles and scanning paths, this method achieves high-speed transfer with significantly enhanced precision and robustness. We demonstrate the successful transfer of micro-LEDs ranging from 600 unicodex03BCm down to 35 unicodex03BCm in size, with a minimum reported placement error of less than 1 unicodex03BCm, and a critical transfer gap of up to 50 unicodex03BCm. Furthermore, the D-DLAT approach enables full selectivity, facilitating complex patterned transfers and array repitching operations that are essential for full-color display integration. Our findings indicate that D-DLAT effectively overcomes the fundamental limitations of current transfer technologies, demonstrating substantial potential for the scalable and high-yield manufacturing of advanced micro-LED displays. Ultimately, D-DLAT establishes a robust paradigm for the high-speed manipulation and heterogeneous integration of micro-optoelectronic devices, extending its profound implications beyond displays to the broader landscape of advanced micro-assembly and flexible electronics.
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BibTeX
@misc{cao2026ablationdriven,
title = {{Ablation-Driven Selective Laser Direct Mass Transfer for Micro-LEDs with High Speed, Enhanced Gap Tolerance, and High Precision}},
author = {Yuxuan Cao and Yulong Wang and Jürgen Brugger and Zhen Zhang},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.21839},
eprint = {2610.21839},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.21839},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Ablation-Driven Selective Laser Direct Mass Transfer for Micro-LEDs with High Speed, Enhanced Gap Tolerance, and High Precision
AU - Yuxuan Cao
AU - Yulong Wang
AU - Jürgen Brugger
AU - Zhen Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/15
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.21839
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.21839
AB - Micro light-emitting diodes (micro-LEDs) offer superior performance for next-generation displays, yet their scalable manufacturing is severely bottlenecked by the mass transfer process from donor to receiver substrates. The existing laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) methods are restricted by low throughput, limited selectivity, and long reaction times. In this study, we introduce a novel defocused direct laser ablation transfer (D-DLAT) method utilizing polyimide as a dynamic release layer. Whereas most indirect laser transfer methods trigger chip release followed by passive descent toward the receiver, D-DLAT directly ablates the release layer to actively propel the small-sized chips towards the receiver via ablation shock. By optimizing the ablation profiles and scanning paths, this method achieves high-speed transfer with significantly enhanced precision and robustness. We demonstrate the successful transfer of micro-LEDs ranging from 600 unicodex03BCm down to 35 unicodex03BCm in size, with a minimum reported placement error of less than 1 unicodex03BCm, and a critical transfer gap of up to 50 unicodex03BCm. Furthermore, the D-DLAT approach enables full selectivity, facilitating complex patterned transfers and array repitching operations that are essential for full-color display integration. Our findings indicate that D-DLAT effectively overcomes the fundamental limitations of current transfer technologies, demonstrating substantial potential for the scalable and high-yield manufacturing of advanced micro-LED displays. Ultimately, D-DLAT establishes a robust paradigm for the high-speed manipulation and heterogeneous integration of micro-optoelectronic devices, extending its profound implications beyond displays to the broader landscape of advanced micro-assembly and flexible electronics.
ER -