Laser ablation of multilayer polymer films

Abstract

We study the efficiency of using multilayer structures as an etch-stop mechanism in the ablation of polyimide films by ultraviolet lasers. The study is done using a photothermal model that includes the light absorption by the decomposed fragments, which shield the polymer from the laser beam, an intermediate zone in which the polymer is suffering a phase transition and the underlying unburned material. The layers are differentiated from each other through their optical properties. Variation in the optical properties of polyimide has been achieved by a proper selection of impurities. From our modeling work, we conclude that optically thin foils may be used as etch stop in the ablation process when the penetration depth of the middle layer is around three times larger than the penetration depth of the surrounding layers, this for fluences below 200 mJ/cm2. We also present some experimental results.