SINGLE-PULSE ULTRAVIOLET LASER-INDUCED SURFACE MODIFICATION AND ABLATION OF POLYIMIDE

Single-pulse laser ablation of polyimide was investigated by using foc used UV-Ar+-laser radiation (lambda approximate to 302 nm, 140 ns less than or equal to tau(l) less than or equal to 50 ms) and atomic force microscopy. The results clearly demonstrate that the ablation rates d o not depend on the total dose only, but depend as well on the duratio n of the laser pulses, tau(l). The experimental results can be interpr eted almost quantitatively on the basis of a purely thermal model. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.