Soft vacuum pulsed electron beam processing of teflon and teflon-like films

Poly(tetrafluoroethylene), Teflon, is an excellent engineering material with a low dielectric constant, chemical inertness in hazardous environments, and thermal stability. However, it has many shortcomings such as poor adhesion to substrates, difficulty in micron-sized via hole fabrication, and almost zero solubility in common solvents. We found that Teflon self-developed very efficiently under pulsed electron beam (25 KV to 30 KV) exposure in soft vacuum. Teflon images were obtained by performing the electron exposure through a mask. Its etching rate is the highest among the polymer films studied including radiation-sensitive poly(2-butene sulfone). A possible mechanism for this high self-development rate is proposed. © 1989 SPIE.