title: Laser ablation and the production of polymer films.
abstract: The formation of high-quality thin films of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is important in many applications ranging from material reinforcement to molecular electronics. Laser ablation, a technique widely used to deposit a variety of inorganic materials, can also be used as a simple and highly versatile method for forming thin polymer films. The data presented show that PTFE films can be produced on various supports by the evaporation of a solid PTFE target with a pulsed ultraviolet laser. The composition of the ablation plume suggests that PTFE ablation and subsequent film formation occur by way of a laser-induced pyrolitic decomposition with subsequent repolymerization. The polymer films produced by this method are composed of amorphous and highly crystalline regions, the latter being predominantly in a chain-folded configuration with the molecular axis aligned parallel to the substrate surface.
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Blanchet
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Fincher
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Gardner