ANALYSIS AND EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY OF ONE-PHOTON INCUBATED ABSORPTION INPOLYMERS

Incubated absorption and ablation in polypropylene irradiated with the 193 nm ArF laser has been investigated using laser transmission, prob e beam deflection, UV and FTIR transmission measurements and scanning electron microscopy, extending earlier work on low density polyethylen e (LDPE). An analytical model of radiation transport which includes on e-photon incubated absorption provides a good description of the trans mission results. Incubated absorption in polypropylene and LDPE probab ly arises through the growth of unsaturated species and plays an impor tant role in controlling their ablation characteristics.