Abstract
Irradiation of most polymers with ultraviolet lasers results in permanent changes in their surface morphology and electrical conductivity. Using KrF (248 nm) excimer laser radiation, the electrical conductivity of polyimide (Kapton) and polybenzimidazole (PBI) has been increased by as much as sixteen orders of magnitude, obtaining values on the order of 10 Ω-1 cm-1. This laser-induced conductivity exhibits a threshold both in fluence and in the number of laser shots and has a saturation conductivity which is slightly fluence dependent. Periodic line structures with a period of 167 nm and linewidths varying from 30 to 100 nm have been produced in polyimide by direct ablation with a KrF laser using an interferometric technique. This experiment establishes the optics- and materials-dependent spatial resolution limits for laser ablation and for the modification of the electrical conductivity in polymers. An array of sub-micron wires has been produced in polyimide, demonstrating the ability to modify electrical conductivity in polymers with high spatial resolution.
Published Version
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