A low-cost rapid prototyping method for metal electrode fabrication using a CO2 laser cutter

Abstract

In this note, a novel approach on the use of a low-power CO2 laser cutter is proposed to pattern thin metal electrode prototypes. Although low-power CO2 laser cutters have been used to etch and cut a wide range of materials, based on our knowledge, metal electrode patterning has not been previously explored. Using the proposed approach, metal electrodes can be patterned on the substrates that are good absorbers of CO2 wavelength. Here, polymethylmethacrylate substrates are selected and metal electrode patterning using the commercial CO2 laser cutter of VLS 3.50 Versa Laser is investigated. This approach has a wide range of applications, and two of those examples for microwave heating and antenna applications are presented.