Laser-induced nanostructures on a polymer irradiated through a contact mask

The nanopatterning method applied through micrometer slit for polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) substrate was proposed in this paper. Surface roughness, formation of nanoscale ripple-like structures and the dependence of their dimensions on the value of laser fluence was determined by atomic force and laser confocal microscopy, and compared with values obtained from samples irradiated directly (without a contact mask) under similar conditions. The morphology of the unirradiated surface of the substrate in between the slits is also studied, as well as the morphology of the transitional area between the irradiated and unirradiated surface. Thin layer of gold was deposited on selected samples. Chemical composition of the surface was determined from XPS spectra. The potential application of this research can be found predominantly in the field of selective sensor applications, where the designated area for the consecutive grafting procedures is of great importance.