Nd:YAG laser cleaning of ablation debris from excimer-laser-ablated polyimide

In the processing of excimer laser ablation of nozzles on polyimide in air, both gases like CO2, CO and HCN and solid debris including C2 approximately C12 are produced in laser ablation area. In this paper, we reported for the first time a Nd:YAG laser cleaning of ablation debris generated in excimer laser ablation of polyimide. It demonstrated effective cleaning with the advantages of shortening cleaning cycle time and simplifying cleaning process. The laser used for the cleaning was a Q-switched and frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser with wavelength of 532 nm and repetition rate of 10 Hz. The laser cleaning effect was compared with conventional plasma ashing. AFM measurement showed that the Nd:YAG laser cleaning had no damage to the substrate. XPS results indicated that the polyimide surface cleaned with laser beam had a lower oxygen/carbon ratio than that of plasma ashing. The study shows that frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser cleaning is effective in ablation debris removal from excimer laser ablated polyimide.

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