Palladium thin film deposition from liquid precursors on polymers by projected excimer beams

Palladium thin films are deposited on polyimide (Pr) and mylar (PET) surfac es from a solution by employing XeCl and KrF excimer lasers. The substrates are plunged in a [Pd(NH3)(4)](2+)/HCOH system, and an illuminated diaphrag m is projected onto the polymers through the precursor layer. Due to the in cident laser beam chemical reactions take place at the solution/polymer int erface, yielding thin Pd films on the surface. The formation and thickness of the Pd layer depend on the numbers of pulses, laser fluence and waveleng th of the laser. The formed metallic, adhesive, and homogeneous Pd deposits an found to he suitable for further electroless copper deposition. Techniq ues such as DEKTAK profilometry, optical microscopy, FESEM (equipped with E DX) and XRD are involved in the determination of morphological, structural and compositional characteristics of the deposited layers. (C) 2000 Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved.