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Nanosecond and sub-nanosecond laser-assisted microscribing of Cu thin films in a salt solution

Pulsed laser-based material removal is a preferred technique for microscribing of copper (Cu) film coated on polymers, as the pulse width limits the heat diffusion. However, experimental studies have shown that microscribing of Cu in air results in recast/redeposit formation and oxidation. Although the water medium can reduce these effects to a certain extent, the material removal rate is lesser for Cu. This article reports the influence of laser pulse duration on a hybrid method to enhance the pulsed laser-assisted microscribing of a copper thin film in the presence of an environmentally friendly sodium chloride salt solution (NaCl). The focused laser beam irradiation of Cu film results in ablation with a temperature of the zone well above the boiling point of Cu, which in turn, can assist in accelerating the chemical reaction. In this hybrid scribing technique, along with laser-based material removal, laser-activated chemical etching also helps in removing the material selectively. A sub-nanosecond laser with a pulse width of 500 ps (picosecond [ps] laser) and a nanosecond laser with a pulse width of 6 ns (nanosecond [ns] laser), with a wavelength of 532 nm, are used to understand the influence of laser pulse duration on this hybrid material removal mechanism. Hybrid microscribing with the ps- and ns lasers in salt solution resulted in an increase in the channel depth by ≈5 µm and ≈9 µm, respectively, compared to the channel depth obtained in deionized water. The theoretical model shows that during the ns laser ablation, the cooling rate is slower, resulting in a high temperature in the ablation zone for a longer duration and improved material removal.