Study and analysis of submicron-period grating formation on polymers ablated using a KrF laser irradiated phase mask

Abstract

Submicron-period gratings have been formed in polyethylene terephthalate and polyimide films using a KrF laser irradiated, zero suppressed, phase mask with a period d=533 nm. The imprinted grating has a dominant period of d rather than d/2, a result which is shown to be due to recording the pattern by a threshold surface ablation process.