Processing of polycarbonate by high-repetition rate ArF excimer laser radiation

Precise ablation of polymers is a challenging task for excimer lasers emitting in the ultraviolet. Excellent edge definition and surface quality can be achieved, but efficiency and processing speed are limited due to losses induced by the masks. The availability of high-repetition rate excimer lasers allows a fully software controlled processing without the need for mask making. The appropriate repetition rates and dwell times are worked out on example of polycarbonate. The surface quality of test samples is characterised by optical and electron microscopy.