Finite element modeling of the mechanical effects of the UV laser ablation of polymer coatings

Laser ablation constitutes the basis of a number of techniques aiming at the processing and diagnosis of polymeric coatings on a variety of substrates. In all these applications, however, the issue is raised about the mechanical effects of the procedure on the substrate integrity. To this end, we employ finite element modeling for simulating the mechanical effects of UV laser ablation on a polymer specimen, with particular emphasis on the structural modifications that may be induced at areas away from the ablation spot. The cylindrical specimen consists of a poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) film on a silica substrate. The analysis shows that stresses of high enough amplitude may propagate to distances far away from the irradiated spot and may induce deleterious mechanical deformations (e.g., cracks or delaminations). The dependence of the distribution of the tensile stresses on the thickness of the two components, as well as on size of the ablation spot area, is examined. Finally, the possibility of growth of pre-existing defects is shown. The results are overall in very good agreement with experimental observations.