Ultraviolet laser-projection patterning of polymeric materials for electrochemical gas sensors

ArF laser ablation has been successfully applied to maskless pattern by projection lithography of two polymeric materials, polysiloxane and polyHEMA (2-hydroxy-ethyl methacrylate), to be used as gas diffusion membranes in electrochemical gas sensors. Etch rates up to 0.65 μm/s with smooth surface morphology, high edge definition, and a resolution of ∼5 μm were obtained using laser fluences between 250 and 400 mJ/cm2 and repetition rates between 1 and 10 Hz in air for polyHEMA films and in nitrogen for polysiloxane films.ESPRIT, Nº 6374Peer Reviewe