Excimer laser ablation of triazene-containing polyesters with different topologies

Abstract

We report on excimer laser polymer ablation experiments on polymers with triazene groups (Ph—N=N—NR2) as well as their photolytical behavior. Two polyesters incorporating the photosensitive triazene group and their main chain (PE1a,b) are compared with one that contains this group as a pendant unit (PE2). With respect to the characteristic ablation parameters, there is no significant difference between these species but in comparison to a triazeno-polysulfide we observe increased efficiency in terms of the saturation depth dmax. In contrast, the quality of the patterns depends on the topology of the triazene-containing polyester: the main-chain polyester displays ablation micropatterns of improved quality. The photolysis in solution occurs faster for the main-chain polymers built up from cyclic monomers than for open ring structures. Polymeric triazenes are photolyzed slower than the corresponding monomeric diols.