Single-pulse ultraviolet laser-induced surface modification and ablation of polyimide

Single-pulse laser ablation of polyimide was investigated by using focused UV-Ar+-laser radiation (λ≈302 nm, 140 ns⩽τl⩽50 ms) and atomic force microscopy. The results clearly demonstrate that the ablation rates do not depend on the total dose only, but depend as well on the duration of the laser pulses, τl. The experimental results can be interpreted almost quantitatively on the basis of a purely thermal model.