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Title

Mechanisms of three-dimensional structuring of photo-polymers by tightly focussed femtosecond laser pulses

Author(s)

Malinauskas, Mangirdas;  Zukauskas, Albertas;  Bickauskaite, Gabija;  Gadonas, Roaldas;  Juodkazis, Saulius

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) micro/nano-structuring of photo-resists is systematically studied at the close-to-dielectric- breakdown irradiance. It is demonstrated that avalanche absorption is playing a major part in free electron generation and chemical bond breaking at these conditions. The steps of photo-initiation and chemical bond breaking in propagation of polymerization are altered as compared with photo-polymerization at low-irradiance and one-photon stereo-lithography. The avalanche dominates radical generation and promotion of polymerization at tight focusing and a high ∼TW/cm2 irradiance. The rates of electron generation by two-photon absorption and avalanche are calculated for the experimental conditions. Simulation results are corroborated by 3D polymerization in three resists with different photo-initiators at two different wavelengths and pulse durations. The smallest feature sizes of 3D polymerized logpile structures are consistent with spectral dependencies of the two photon nonlinearities. Implications of these findings for achieving sub-100 nm resolution in 3D structuring of photo-polymers are presented.

Publication type

Journal article

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences. Centre for Micro-Photonics

Source

Optics Express, Vol. 18, no. 10 (May 2010), pp. 10209-10221

Publication year

2010

FOR Code(s)

0205 Optical Physics;  0903 Biomedical Engineering;  1113 Ophthalmology and Optometry

Keyword(s)

3D polymerization;  Absorption;  Femtosecond laser pulses;  Photo-polymers

Publisher

Optical Society of America

ISSN

1094-4087

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.18.010209

Copyright

Copyright © 2010 Optical Society of America. Published version of the paper reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. This paper was published in Optics Express and is made available as an electronic reprint with the permission of OSA. The paper can be found at the following URL on the OSA website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.18.010209. Systematic or multiple reproduction or distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means is prohibited and is subject to penalties under law.

Research Projects

Ultrafast photonic hammer: a new strategy to synthesise super dense super hard nanomaterials, Australian Research Council grant number DP0988054

Full text

Peer reviewed