Laser-Induced Selective Electroless Plating on PC/ABS Polymer: Minimisation of Thermal Effects for Supreme Processing...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Engineering
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Selective Surface Activation Induced by Laser (SSAIL) enables electric circuit formation on free-shape dielectric surfaces, crucial for 3D microscopic integrated devices (3D-MIDs).
• High-speed laser writing on Polycarbonate/Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (PC/ABS) blends is limited by adverse thermal effects, hindering throughput.
• Optimizing the laser activation step is critical for advancing SSAIL technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the physical and chemical mechanisms by which thermal effects limit SSAIL on PC/ABS.
• To develop and apply advanced laser beam scanning techniques to mitigate thermal issues and enhance processing speed.
• To evaluate the impact of these techniques on surface morphology, composition, and electroless plating activity.

Main Methods:

• Transient heat conduction modeling to analyze and reduce heat accumulation during laser writing.
• Application of interlacing laser beam scanning with precise accuracy and pulse-on-demand techniques.
• Surface characterization using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS).

Main Results:

• Advanced laser writing methods significantly reduced heat accumulation in PC/ABS.
• The overall processing rate for SSAIL was increased by up to 2.4 times.
• While surface morphology showed no direct correlation with plating, EDS revealed significant variations in surface composition linked to plating activity.

Conclusions:

• New laser writing strategies effectively overcome thermal limitations in SSAIL for PC/ABS.
• The enhanced processing speed and controlled surface composition facilitate improved electroless copper deposition.
• This advancement broadens the applicability of 3D-MIDs and free-shape circuit formation technologies.