Laser Ablation and the Production of Polymer Films

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 262; no. 5134; pp. 719 - 721
• Main Authors: Blanchet, Graciela B., Fincher, C. R., Jackson, C. L., Shah, S. I., Gardner, K. H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 29.10.1993; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Climate; Dielectric films; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Laser ablation; Lasers; Machinery and processing; Material films; Materials; Materials science; Miscellaneous; Monomers; Organic Chemistry; Plastics; Plumes; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Polymers; Scientific Concepts; Stoichiometry; Technology of polymers; Thermal decomposition; Thin films; Ultraviolet reflection; Pulsed laser; Tetrafluoroethylene polymer; Ultraviolet laser; Film formation; Experimental study; Ablation; Mechanism; Thin film
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.262.5134.719

The formation of high-quality thin films of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is important in many applications ranging from material reinforcement to molecular electronics. Laser ablation, a technique widely used to deposit a variety of inorganic materials, can also be used as a simple and highly versatile method for forming thin polymer films. The data presented show that PTFE films can be produced on various supports by the evaporation of a solid PTFE target with a pulsed ultraviolet laser. The composition of the ablation plume suggests that PTFE ablation and subsequent film formation occur by way of a laser-induced pyrolitic decomposition with subsequent repolymerization. The polymer films produced by this method are composed of amorphous and highly crystalline regions, the latter being predominantly in a chain-folded configuration with the molecular axis aligned parallel to the substrate surface.