EXCIMER LASER IRRADIATION EFFECTS ON ETHYLENE-TETRAFLUOROETHYLENE COPOLYMER

It was reported that excimer laser irradiation on ethylene- tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE) provides the changes of the chemical structure. Irradiation with an ArF laser at wavelength of 193nm formed polyene in a whole ETFE film, and with a KrF laser at wavelength of 248nm induced the carbonization of ETFE. On the other hand, the surface analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy made it clear that irradiation with the ArF and KrF lasers formed the oxidation products at the surface of the ETFE film. These chemical changes at the surface of the ETFE film induced by the laser irradiation were different from those at the bulk of the film. The result of the depth profiling measurement at the surface of the ETFE film indicated that the oxidation of ETFE induced by excimer laser irradiation proceeded at the surface, which resulted from the existence of oxygen in air.