Fs-laser processing of polydimethylsiloxane

• Published in: Journal of applied physics 2014-07, Vol.116 (2)
• Main Authors: Atanasov, Petar A., Nedyalkov, Nikolay N., Valova, Eugenia I., Georgieva, Zhenya S., Armyanov, Stefan A., Kolev, Konstantin N., Amoruso, Salvatore, Wang, Xuan, Bruzzese, Ricardo, Sawczak, Miroslaw, Śliwiński, Gerard
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied physics; CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; EXCITATION; Femtosecond pulses; Laser processing; LASER RADIATION; Lasers; MEMS; Metallizing; Microelectromechanical systems; Morphology; Nanoelectromechanical systems; Nanosecond pulses; NANOSTRUCTURES; OPTICAL MICROSCOPY; Organic chemistry; Polydimethylsiloxane; RAMAN SPECTRA; RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY; RANDOMNESS; SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; Spectrum analysis; SURFACES; WAVELENGTHS
• ISSN: 0021-8979; 1089-7550
• DOI: 10.1063/1.4887812

We present an experimental analysis on surface structuring of polydimethylsiloxane films with UV (263 nm) femtosecond laser pulses, in air. Laser processed areas are analyzed by optical microscopy, SEM, and μ-Raman spectroscopy. The laser-treated sample shows the formation of a randomly nanostructured surface morphology. μ-Raman spectra, carried out at both 514 and 785 nm excitation wavelengths, prior and after laser treatment allow evidencing the changes in the sample structure. The influence of the laser fluence on the surface morphology is studied. Finally, successful electro-less metallization of the laser-processed sample is achieved, even after several months from the laser-treatment contrary to previous observation with nanosecond pulses. Our findings address the effectiveness of fs-laser treatment and chemical metallization of polydimethylsiloxane films with perspective technological interest in micro-fabrication devices for MEMS and nano-electromechanical systems.