KAIST & POSTECH Develop 3D Printing for Ultra-High-Density Nanolasers

KAIST and POSTECH jointly developed a 3D printing technology for ultra-high-density nanolasers, essential components for next-generation semiconductors. This “ultra-fine electrohydrodynamic 3D printing” creates vertically stacked perovskite nanostructures with attoliter-scale precision. The resulting high-efficiency lasers demonstrate tunable color and potential for applications like anti-counterfeiting technology.

Vertical Perovskite Nanolasers Enable High-Density Optical Integration

Vertically aligned perovskite nanolasers offer a solution to limitations found in conventional semiconductor manufacturing, specifically regarding device placement and efficiency. Existing horizontal laser structures consume considerable space and experience light loss into the substrate, but this new method utilizes a 3D printing technique to stack perovskite—a highly efficient light-generating material—vertically. The resulting structures minimize light leakage and enable denser integration on semiconductor chips. This ultra-fine electrohydrodynamic 3D printing precisely deposits ink droplets at the attoliter scale ($10^{-18}$ L) to form pillar-shaped nanostructures. Gas-phase crystallization control further enhances the quality, achieving nearly single-crystalline alignment and stable laser operation.

Adjusting the height of these structures allows for precise color tuning, demonstrated by the creation of covert security patterns and highlighting potential applications in anti-counterfeiting measures.

Ultra-Fine Electrohydrodynamic 3D Printing at Attoliter Scale

This new 3D printing method manipulates materials at the attoliter scale—defined as $10^{-18}$ liters—using electrical voltage to form nanostructures. The process, termed “ultra-fine electrohydrodynamic 3D printing,” builds vertical perovskite pillars directly onto semiconductor chips, bypassing complicated material removal steps. By precisely controlling these incredibly small ink droplets, researchers created nanolasers thinner than a human hair, achieving high-density placement for advanced optical circuits. Crucially, the printed perovskite structures benefit from gas-phase crystallization control, leading to nearly single-crystalline alignment and minimizing light loss. The ability to directly implement these optical semiconductors promises faster progress in fields like optical computing and next-generation security technologies.

Tunable Laser Emission for Anti-Counterfeiting Applications

Researchers developed a method to create highly efficient, vertically aligned nanolasers with tunable light emission, demonstrating potential for advanced security features. By adjusting the height of the printed nanostructures, the team precisely controlled the color of the laser light emitted, enabling the creation of security patterns undetectable without specialized tools. This capability signifies a path toward combating counterfeiting through uniquely identifiable laser-based markings. This 3D printing process utilizes perovskite, a light-generating semiconductor, and achieves attoliter-scale precision ($10^{-18}$ L) in depositing material. The resulting nanolasers minimize light loss due to their vertical structure and nearly single-crystalline alignment achieved through gas-phase crystallization control—critical for reliable operation and commercial viability in fields like anti-counterfeiting and high-speed optical computing.