Abstract
In this study, a direct formation technique of the electrically conductive pattern was investigated on the surface of a polymeric material by using carbon dioxide laser irradiation. A small disk of molded polyacrylonitrile was used as a test specimen. The conditions of the laser irradiation required for both stabilization and carbonization processes of the polymeric material were determined by the thermal analysis of TG-DTA. A numerical simulation of temperature distribution around the laser irradiation point was performed to determine the conditions that can achieve the required temperature for the thermal treatment (stabilization and carbonization processes). The electrically conductive pattern of a straight shape having conductivity of 7.6 S/cm was formed by irradiating the laser to the sample surface that was stabilized in advance by the infrared furnace. However, the electrically conductive pattern could not be obtained because of a large quantity of decomposed gas generation, when the stabilization process was done by the laser irradiation. Therefore, the establishment of a method that can effectively remove decomposed gas from the polymeric material was indicated as an important issue to operate practically the present technique.
