Laser micro/nanojoining: from fundamentals and processing to manufacturing applications

Microjoining and Nanojoining produce permanent unions or connections between microscale or nanosized building blocks and enable functional nanodevices and nanosystems to form mainly through primary chemical bonds. Such small size joining has facilitated advanced manufacturing in 2D/3D microprinting and 2D/3D nanomanufacturing. The laser joining processes are foundational in controlling the underlying structure as micro- or nano-material feedstock is bonded and assembled in large scale additive manufacturing.

Laser induced micro-nanojoining is a powerful tool to join nanoscale materials and provide functional devices for mechanical microelectronic systems. Laser-joined materials have displayed high reliability, reproducible properties, high precision and localized processing, and compatibility with flexible manufacturing systems. Laser processing has been widely applied in joining of diverse media, including metallic and semiconductor nanowires and metallic nanoparticles and graphene. The laser-induced micro-nanojoining permits nanowire-electrode interface engineering to improve contact behavior. Moreover, laser processing permits simultaneous patterning and processing, which facilitates the relevant manufacturing.

Recent advances in ultrafast pulsed laser technology, particularly in femtosecond laser welding, have marked a paradigm shift in manufacturing science. Femtosecond laser welding leverages extremely brief pulses to achieve precise, localized energy deposition in materials, which is critical for preserving the integrity of sensitive nanomaterials. The distinguishing feature of these pulses is their highly localized interaction, which negates thermal damage and thus preserves the unique properties of nanoscale materials. These principles have driven femtosecond laser-induced micro-nanojoining into numerous application directions, such as enabling new modes of optical fiber sensing, multifunctional catalysis and microrobots.

This special issue calls for papers in the field of laser micro- and nanojoining, with a broad mandate extending from fundamentals that unveil the underlying physio-chemical joining processes to procedures applied in manufacturing. Papers in theoretical modeling or exploring unique applications are welcome in order to highlight the potential and near-future trend of this blooming field.

Topics covered include, but are not limited to:

Guest Editors

Dr. Anming Hu, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee Knoxville, USA

Dr. Soshu Kirihara, Joining and Welding Research Institute, Osaka University, Japan

Dr. Peter Herman, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada

Submission Instructions

For those interested in submitting, please take note of the following instructions:

1. Navigate to the journal’s online submission system. You may need to create an account if you do not already have one.
2. During the submission process you will be asked if your manuscript is part of a special topic. Please answer “yes” and select “Laser micro/nanojoining: from fundamentals and processing to manufacturing applications” from the subsequent drop-down menu.

Papers that are accepted for publication will publish immediately upon acceptance and will appear online in a virtual collection dedicated to this special topic. Any questions or concerns about the submission process or deadline should be directed to the Journal of Laser Applications journal manager at jla-journalmanager@aip.org.