DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ELECTROCHEMICAL DEVICES USING ULTRAVIOLET-LASER INDUCED CARBONIZATION OF POLYIMIDE FILMS

The Photonics Research Center has been investigating the ultraviolet ( UV) laser carbonization of polyimide films to produce electrically con ducting polymer films. In this research, broadband UV laser radiation (350 to 380 nm) from a continuous wave (cw) argon ion laser is used to write a conducting pattern on the surface of polyimide films. Two sca nning mirrors under computer control allow line drawings produced in a computer aided design (CAD) program to be reproduced with high precis ion. The oxidation-reduction of Fe-III(CN)(6)(3-)/Fe-II(CN)(6)(4-) was selected as a system to examine the electron transfer rates of the ca rbonized surfaces. Using methods developed by Nicholson, cyclic voltam metry of a 10 mM solution of K3Fe(CN)(6) in 1 M KCl was used to determ ine the rate of electron transfer from fabricated carbonized Kapton el ectrodes. The rate of electron transfer of the Kapton electrode was mu ch slower when compared to commercial platinum and glassy carbon (GC) electrodes under the same conditions.