Laser-photoetching characteristics of polymers with dopants

The photoetching behavior of poly(methylmethacrylate), poly(dimethylglutarimide) and chlorinated poly(methylstyrene) doped with pyrene and 4-aminobenzoylhydrazide excited by 308 nm excimer-laser pulses has been studied. Some common laser-etching characteristics including the reduction of the threshold fluence for ablation, the enhancement of etching efficiency and the existence of optimal conditions regarding the laser fluence and dopant concentration for generating clean and smooth etching patterns are identified. The photoetching mechanism and the potential application of the doping technique to material processing are discussed. © 1988 Springer-Verlag.