Matrix-assisted pulsed laser deposition MAPLE

Examples for the second group are polymers as fuel in the micro laser plasma thruster (JJ.LPT), PLD of polymers, matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE), which is a deposition technique that can be used to deposit highly uniform thin films [26], or laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) [27-29], which can be used to produce microstructures by transferring an irradiated area of a target film to an acceptor substrate. The polymer can be the transferred material, or just functions as driving force in the transfer. 

Biomimetic nanocrystalline apatite coatings were deposited on titanium substrates by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE), a technique with potential application in tissue engineering (Visan et al., 2014 Caricato etal., 2014). The targets were prepared from nano-sized, poorly crystalline apatite powders, analogous in composition to mineral bone. For the deposition of thin films, a KrF excimer laser source was used (A = 248 nm,rFWHM < 25 ns). Analyses of the deposited films showed that the structural and chemical nature of the nanocrystalline precursor apatite was preserved. Hence, MAPLE may be a suitable technique for the congruent transfer of a delicate material such as nanohydroxyapatite. 

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