It is reported that thin films of polyimide are efficiently etched in air at pulsed excimer laser wavelengths of 248, 308, and 351 nm. Etch rate versus incident fluence data are found to obey a Beer–Lambert etching relation. Sharp laser fluence thresholds for significant etching are found to correlate with the wavelength-dependent absorption coefficient. The absorbed energy density required to initiate significant etching is found, within experimental error, to be independent of the wavelengths examined. It is felt that this information demonstrates the predominantly thermal nature of the laser etching mechanism. Additionally, infrared spectroscopy and coupled gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy were used to identify several gases evolved during pulsed laser etching of polyimide in both air and vacuum.

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Etching of thin polyimide films in air was investigated using a line tunable, pulsed CO2 laser. The threshold fluence for etching at a wavelength of 944 cm−1 (10.6 μm) exceeds that at 1087 cm−1 (9.2 μm) by a factor of 4. This is consistent with the infrared absorption spectrum which shows polyimide to be significantly more absorbing at 1087 cm−1. As a result, etching at 1087 cm−1 produces a cleaner, more precisely defined region. Analysis of the vapors generated during laser etching shows the simple gases CO2, H2O, and CO to be present.