A new deposition technique for high performance polymer films, resonant infrared laser ablation (RIR-LA) is presented. Ultraviolet laser deposition techniques have been shown to cause decomposition and depolymerization of the deposited polymer films. We hypothesized that the infrared radiation would be a gentler technique compared to ultraviolet radiation and should leave the polymer structure intact. We proposed a technique where a solution-based polymeric precursor is frozen in liquid nitrogen, placed in vacuum chamber, and ablated by a rastered infrared laser beam. Then the ejected material is collected on a substrate forming a thin polymeric film. First we tested the technique on a 15 weight % pyromellitic dianhydride-co-4,4-oxidianiline (PMDA-ODA) in N-methylpyrrolidinone (NMP), the polymeric precursor to polyimide. PMDA-ODA is converted to polyimide by a thermal cure near 250 °C. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results confirmed that the PMDA-ODA was transferred intact and without curing by RIR-LA. Molecular weight studies show that only a small portion of the original molecular weight is lost, allowing for the preservation of strength and structural properties. The technique was then tested with other polymers including polyamide imide and polyether imide. Both polymers were successfully transferred intact with no signs of curing. Polyamide imide boasts an even lower cure temperature than polyimide at only 150°C, illustrating how effective RIR-LA is at avoiding thermal transformations.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VANDERBILT/oai:VANDERBILTETD:etd-08182008-150859 |
Date | 26 August 2008 |
Creators | Dygert, Nicole Leigh |
Contributors | E. Duco Jansen, Eva M. Harth, G. Kane Jennings, Richard F. Haglund, Jr., Kenneth E. Schriver |
Publisher | VANDERBILT |
Source Sets | Vanderbilt University Theses |
Language | English |
Detected Language | English |
Type | text |
Format | application/pdf |
Source | http://etd.library.vanderbilt.edu/available/etd-08182008-150859/ |
Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to Vanderbilt University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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