Review of microfluidic solutions for mass production of ICF targets

Since the achievement of ignition at the National Ignition Facility in 2022, interest in Inertial Fusion Energy has grown, particularly for its potential to enable low-carbon energy production in the context of climate change. Among the key technological challenges, the fabrication of fuel targets remains critical. These multilayer spherical capsules must meet strict specifications: a diameter from less than 1 mm to more than 5 mm, sphericity (>99.9%), concentricity (>99%), and nanometric surface roughness. Additionally, each reactor is expected to consume up to 1 × 106 targets per day, requiring high-throughput production (multi-hertz). In this context, microfluidics emerges as a promising approach, capable of generating high-frequency (>20 Hz) monodisperse double emulsions while integrating key fabrication steps into a continuous process. This review provides an overview of the state-of-the-art microfluidic technologies developed for Inertial Fusion Energy target fabrication, assessing their maturity and remaining technological barriers.