We report the experimental results of the ablation rate per pulse as a func
tion of the laser fluence and images of the surface morphology, as examined
by atomic force microscopy, for a number of organic polymer materials of s
pecial interest in microelectronics and biomedical applications. The ablati
on parameters and the surface modifications are examined under various irra
diation conditions using laser wavelengths ranging from the ultraviolet thr
ough the visible to the infrared and pulse widths ranging from nanoseconds
to femtoseconds. Our results are discussed in the view of interplay between
the material properties and the radiation dependent parameters governing t
he ablation process. Visible and infrared ultra-short pulsed laser ablation
of the polymer samples was performed with a very low threshold fluence of
approximately 0.2 mJ/mm(2). The irradiated polymers exhibit different optic
al transmission properties in the corresponding spectral regions. The quant
itative results on ablation rate versus laser energy fluence show that the
picosecond laser ablation is more efficient than the subpicosecond and nano
second ablation, i.e., it exhibits higher etch rates before the onset of an
y saturation. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V All rights reserved.