Micro-bubble assisted laser printing has been developed recently for micro-patterning of various materials. In this method, a laser beam is focused on a dispersion of nanoparticles (NPs), leading to the formation of a microbubble due to laser heating. Convection currents around the microbubble carry NPs that are then pinned to the bubble/substrate interface. Moving the focused beam results in migration of the microbubble and the deposition of material at the bubble/substrate contact area.

We found that controlling the construction and destruction of the microbubble through modulation of the laser, enables the formation of continuous patterns by preventing the microbubble from being pinned to the deposited material. Moreover, we show that a similar mechanism could explain microstructure formation from an ion solution. We demonstrate how microfluidics could be utilized to enhance the capabilities of multi-layered laser micro-printing by quickly switching between precursors. The concepts presented here could provide new opportunities for fabrication of multi-layered micro-electronic devices and sensors.