Monitoring polymer properties using shear horizontal surface acoustic waves

Real-time, nondestructive methods for monitoring polymer film properties are increasingly important in the development and fabrication of modern polymer-containing products. Online testing of industrial polymer films during preparation and conditioning is required to minimize material and energy consumption, improve the product quality, increase the production rate, and reduce the number of product rejects. It is well-known that shear horizontal surface acoustic wave (SH-SAW) propagation is sensitive to mass changes as well as to the mechanical properties of attached materials. In this work, the SH-SAW was used to monitor polymer property changes primarily dictated by variations in the viscoelasticity. The viscoelastic properties of a negative photoresist film were monitored throughout the ultraviolet (UV) light-induced polymer cross-linking process using SH-SAW delay line devices. Changes in the polymer film mass and viscoelasticity caused by UV exposure produced variations in the phase velocity and attenuation of the SH-SAW propagating in the structure. Based on measured polymer-coated delay line scattering transmission responses (S(21)) and the measured polymer layer thickness and density, the viscoelastic constants c(44) and eta(44) were extracted. The polymer thickness was found to decrease 0.6% during UV curing, while variations in the polymer density were determined to be insignificant. Changes of 6% in c(44) and 22% in eta(44) during the cross-linking process were observed, showing the sensitivity of the SH-SAW phase velocity and attenuation to changes in the polymer film viscoelasticity. These results indicate the potential for SH-SAW devices as online monitoring sensors for polymer film processing.