Deposition of polytetrafluoroethylene films by laser ablation

Abstract

Films of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were deposited by laser ablation using the fourth harmonic, at 266 nm, of a Nd-YAG laser. The films are found to be stoichiometric with the correct optical properties. We suggest that UV absorption onsets the pyrolitic decomposition of PTFE leading to a monomer that subsequently repolymerizes onto a substrate.