Interaction of XeCl laser radiation with polymers

An experimental investigation was made of the interaction of nanosecond ultraviolet radiation pulses with polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate. A study of ablation of polyethylene terephthalate showed that under certain conditions the rate of etching increased severalfold and the damage to the regions surrounding the irradiation spot decreased. Under these conditions the main polymer damage mechanism was two-photon dissociation of the molecules.