Nonlinear nano-printing of platinum

Two-photon–induced photolysis enables localized deposition of platinum from a liquid precursor with sub-micron resolution onto a substrate. The nonlinear absorption within the liquid induces photodissociation of a precursor, leading to the formation of Pt nanoparticles that aggregate into nano- to micro-scale structures. We quantify how focus position, polarization, repetition rate, pulse energy and irradiation time affect the deposition process. The method offers a versatile route to 3D deposition of metals, for applications such as electrode deposition on non-planar substrates. This opens a number of applications in microelectronics, sensing, biomedical devices and photonics.