Heating-mode-defined energy pathways govern non-contact release in shape memory polymer transfer printing

Abstract Smart dry adhesion underpins transfer printing technologies for flexible electronics, micro light-emitting diode (LED) displays, and heterogeneous optoelectronic integration. Shape memory polymer (SMP)-enabled embedded transfer printing offers strong pickup capability and operational flexibility, where pickup is realized through controlled embedding into SMP stamps via either global or localized heating. However, these distinct heating modes often result in markedly different non-contact release reliability for planar microchips, and the mechanistic origin of this discrepancy remains insufficiently understood, limiting deterministic transfer printing. Here, we establish an experimentally and numerically resolved mechanistic framework that links pickup heating mode to strain energy pathways and non-contact release reliability in SMP-enabled embedded transfer printing. Combining systematic experiments with finite element simulations incorporating a thermo-mechanically coupled SMP constitutive model under identical laser-triggered release conditions, we reveal that localized heating induces spatially confined modulus reduction and effective strain energy accumulation near the embedded microchip, enabling efficient energy release and reliable detachment. In contrast, global heating leads to delocalized energy storage across the SMP adhesive, leaving only a limited fraction of recoverable energy available for chip release. Parameter-dependent transitions between localized and delocalized deformation regions further clarify the conditions required for effective energy confinement during pickup. The programmable transfer and assembly of LED chips into flexible display devices validate the practical applicability of the localized heating mode. Collectively, these results establish an energy-based design framework that renders non-contact release in SMP-enabled embedded transfer printing predictable and scalable, supporting reliable heterogeneous integration and industrial translation of flexible and micro-optoelectronic systems.