Laser ablation of doped fluorocarbon materials and applications thereof

• US 20060213881A1
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Myriad Genetics
• Original Assignee: Myriad Genetics
• Inventors: Oliphant, Arnold, McNeely, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/445,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20060213881A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/121.690
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/42 Plastics B23K2103/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/50 Inorganic material, e.g. metals, not provided for in B23K2103/02 – B23K2103/26
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/18 using absorbing layers on the workpiece, e.g. for marking or protecting purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/361 for deburring or mechanical trimming B23K26/351 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/40 taking account of the properties of the material involved

Abstract

A method for laser ablation of doped fluorocarbon materials, such as fluorocarbon resins, and article fabrication applications using the laser ablation are disclosed. More specifically, a UV absorbing additive, such as carbon black, is compounded with a fluorocarbon resin which is then subjected to laser ablation. The present invention is particularly useful for bulk structure fabrication, for example microstructure micro fabrication.

Claims

1. A method for bulk laser ablation of a fluorocarbon resin comprising irradiating laser light onto or penetrating into a fluorocarbon resin containing an amount from about 0.1 wt. % to about 25 wt. % of UV absorbing material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the UV absorbing material is present in the fluorocarbon resin in an amount from about 0.5 wt. % to about 15 wt. %.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the UV absorbing material is carbon black.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wavelength of laser light is from about 180 nm to about 400 nm.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluence of laser light is from about 0.1 J/cm² pulse to about 1 J/cm²/pulse or higher.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluence of laser light is from about 1 J/cm²/pulse to about 10 J/cm²/pulse.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the wavelength of the laser light is from about 180 nm to about 400 nm and the fluence of the laser light is greater than 0.5 J/cm²/pulse.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the UV absorbing material is present in an amount from about 0.5 wt. % to about 15 wt. %.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the UV absorbing material is present in an amount from about 1 to about 10 wt. %.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the UV absorbing material is present in an amount of about 4 to 6 wt. %.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the UV absorbing material is carbon black.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the wavelength of the laser light is from about 193 nm to about 355 nm.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the wavelength of the laser light is from about 248 nm to about 315 nm.

19. An article containing geometrical physical structures on or in a material prepared according to the method of claim 1.

14. A method of bleaching a substrate comprising the steps:

obtaining a fluorocarbon resin substrate containing carbon black in an amount of from about 0.01 wt. % to 1 wt. %; and

bulk laser ablating the fluorocarbon resin.

15. A method of microfabricating microfluidic structures in fluorocarbon materials comprising the steps:

obtaining a fluorocarbon resin substrate containing a UV absorbing material, said UV absorbing material present in an amount allowing for adequate depth control of material removal during the laser ablation process;

bulk laser ablating the fluorocarbon resin; and

translating the substrate or the laser beam relative to each other to generate microfluidic structures of the desired dimensions.

16. The method of claim 15 where the fluence of the laser light is greater than about 0.1 J/cm²/pulse.

17. The method of claim 15 where the fluence of the laser light is greater than about 1 J/cm²/pulse.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the UV absorbing material is present in the fluorocarbon resin in an amount from about 0.5 wt. % to about 15 wt %.

20. A microfluidic structure prepared according to the method of claim 15.