• Laser Solutions
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.6-11
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• 2009

The LDS(Laser Direct Structuring) process uses thermoplastic polymers with a additive compound that serves as plating seed after the activation by laser. It can realize industry requirement such as miniaturization of electrical component, design flexibility and reduction of production steps. The purpose of this study is to introduce LDS, and to investigate the fundamental mechanism. Also the characteristics of conductive patterns were investigated with respect to laser fluence and intensity. We have used a pulsed fiber laser (wavelength : 1064nm) and copper electroless plating to fabricate conductive patterns. The result showed that laser induced metal-organic complex was caused metalization by electroless copper plating, the critical laser fluence was $1.41\;J/cm^2$ at a scan speed of 1 m/s.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2012

The LDS(Laser Direct Structuring) is one of the new direct writing methods to fabricate conductive patterns by energy beam. It uses thermoplastic polymers with an additive compound that serves as plating seed after the activation by laser. The advantages of LDS include the miniaturization of electrical components, design flexibility, and a reduced number of production steps. The purpose of this study is to investigate the fundamental mechanism for LDS and the characteristics of conductive patterns by laser parameters. These results were studied by SEM, EDX, and XPS analysis. We have used a 20W pulse-modulated fiber laser and copper electroless plating to fabricate conductive patterns on polymer. The result showed that electroless copper plating seed caused the laser cracking of additive compound. In particular, the additive compound contained in copper metal oxides atoms will be changed to copper metal elements. Also, the characteristics of conductive patterns were dependent on laser parameter, especially laser fluence.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.395-400
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• 2012

In this study, we have investigated the surface morphology of hydroxyapatite (HA) coated Ti alloy surface using pulsed laser plating. The HA (tooth ash) films were grown by pulsed KrF excimer laser, film surfaces were analyzed for topology, chemical composition, crystal structure and electrochemical behavior. The Ti-6Al-4V alloy showed ${\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$ phase, Cp-Ti showed ${\alpha}$ phase and the HA coated surface showed HA and Ti alloy peaks. The HA coating layer was formed with $1-2{\mu}m$ droplets and grain-like particles, particles which were smaller than the HA target particle, and the composition of the HA coatings were composed of Ca and P. From the electrochemical test, the pitting potential (1580 mV) of HA coated Ti-6Al-4V alloy was higher than those of Cp-Ti (1060 mV) and HA coated Cp-Ti (1350 mV). The HA coated samples showed a lower current density than non-HA coated samples, whereas, the polarization resistance of HA coated samples showed a high value compared to non-HA coated samples.

• Laser Solutions
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.25-33
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• 2000

One of perspective direction of microfabrication is direct laser writing technology that allows to create metal, semiconductive and dielectric micropatterns on substrate surface. In this work, a two step method, the combination of seed forming process, in which metallic Al seed was selectively generated on AlN ceramic substrate by direct writing technique using a pulsed Nd : YAG laser and subsequent electroless Ni plating on the activated Al seed, was presented. The effects of laser parameters such as pulse energy, scanning speed and pulse frequency on shape of Alseed and conductor line after electroless Ni plating were investigated. The nature of the laser activated surface is analyzed from XPS data. The line width of this metallic Al and Ni is analyzed using SEM. As a results, Al seed line with 24㎛ width and 100㎛ isolated line space is obtained. Finally, laser direct writing can be applied in the field between thin and thick film technique in electronic industry.

• Laser Solutions
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.52-61
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• 1999

The laser induced forward transfer(LIFT) technique employs a pulsed laser to transfer parts of a thin metal film from an optically transparent target onto an arbitrary substrate in close proximity to the metal film on the target. In this work, a two-step method, the combination of LIFT process, in which a Au film deposited on the $Al_2$O$_3$ substrate by Nd:YAG laser and subsequent Au electroless metal plating on the by LIFT process generated Au seed, was presented. The influence of laser parameters, wavelength, laser power, film thickness and overlap ratio of pulse tracks, on the shapes of deposit and conductor line after electroless plating is experimentally studied. As a results, the threshold power densities for ablation, deposition and metallization were determined and comparison of threshold value between the wave length 1064nm and the second harmonic generated 532nm. In odor to determine a possible application in the electronic industry, a smallest conduct spot size, line width and isolated line space were generated.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.327-332
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• 2020

Laser induced surface activation (LISA) technology requires refined selection of process variables to fabricate conductive microcircuits on a general polymer material. Among the process variables, laser mode is one of the crucial factors to make a reliable conductor pattern. Here we compare the continuous wave (CW) laser mode with the pulse wave (PW) laser mode through determination of the surface roughness and circuit accuracy. In the CW laser mode, the surface roughness is pronounced during the implementation of the conductive circuit, which results in uneven plating. In the PW laser mode, the surface is relatively smooth and uniform, and the formed conductive circuit layer has few defects with excellent adhesion to the polymer material. As a result of a change of laser mode from CW to PW, the value of Ra of the polymer material decreases from 0.6 ㎛ to 0.2 ㎛; the value of Ra after the plating process decreases from 0.8 ㎛ to 0.4 ㎛, and a tight bonding force between the polymer source material and the conductive copper plating layer is achieved. In conclusion, this study shows that the PW laser process yields an excellent conductive circuit on a polymeric material.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1265-1273
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• 1999

PIV(Particle Image Velocimetry) velocity field measurements inside the snout of a1/10 scale model of the Zn plating process were carried out at the strip speed $V_s=1.5m/s$. Aluminum powder particles ($1{\mu}m$) and atomized olive oil ($3{\mu}m$) were used as seeding particles to simulate the molten Zinc flow and deoxidization gas flow, respectively. A pulsed Nd:Yag laser and a $2K{\times}2K$ high-resolution CCD camera were synchronized for the PIV velocity field measurement. From flow visualization study, it is found that the liquid flow in the Zn pot is dominantly governed by the uprising flow caused by the rotating sink roll, with its effect on the steel strip inside the snout largely diminished by installing of the snout. The deoxidization gas flow in front of the strip inside the snout can be characterized by a large-scale vortex rotating clockwise direction formed by the moving strip. In the rear side of the strip, a counter-clockwise vortex is formed and some of the flow entrained by the moving strip impinges on the free surface of molten zinc. The liquid flow in front of the strip is governed by the flow entering the snout, caused by the spinning sink roll. Just below the free surface a counter-clockwise vortex is formed near the snout wall. The moving strip affects dominantly the flow behind the strip inside the snout, and large amount of the liquid flow follows the moving strip toward the sink roll. The thickness of the flow following the strip is very thin in the front side due to the uprising flow, however thick boundary layer is formed in the rear side of the strip. Its thickness is increased as moving downstream toward the sink roll. Inside the snout, the deoxidization gas flow above the free surface is much faster than the liquid flow in the zinc pot. Due to the larger influx of the flow following the moving strip in the rear side of the strip, higher percentage of imperfection can be anticipated on the rear surface of the strip.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2000

Although commercial PIV systems have been widely used for the non-intrusive velocity field measurement of fluid flows, they are still under development and have considerable room for improvement. In this study, a single-frame double-exposure PIV system using a high-resolution CCD camera was developed. A pulsed Nd:Yag laser and high-resolution CCD camera were synchronized by a home-made control circuit. In order to resolve the directional ambiguity problem encountered in the single-frame PIV technique, the second particle image was genuinely shifted in the CCD sensor array during the time interval dt. The velocity vector field was determined by calculating the displacement vector at each interrogation window using cross-correlation with 50% overlapping. In order to check the effect of spatial resolution of CCD camera on the accuracy of PIV velocity field measurement, the developed PIV system with three different resolution modes of the CCD camera (512 ${\times}$ 512, lK ${\times}$ IK, 2K ${\times}$ 2K) was applied to a turbulent flow which simulate the Zn plating process of a steel strip. The experimental model consists of a snout and a moving belt. Aluminum flakes about $1{\mu}m$ diameter were used as scattering particles for the liquid flow in the zinc pot and the gas flow above the zinc surface was seeded with atomized olive oil with an average diameter of 1-$3{\mu}m$. Velocity field measurements were carried out at the strip speed $V_s$=1.0 m/s. The 2K ${\times}$ 2K high-resolution PIV technique was significantly superior compared to the smaller pixel resolution PIV system. For the cases of 512 ${\times}$ 512 and 1K ${\times}$ 1K pixel resolution PIV system, it was difficult to get accurate flow structure of viscous flow near the wall and small vortex structure in the region of large velocity gradient.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.111-112
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• 2009

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) is a convenient term to indicate the compositions of the various forms of amorphous carbon (a-C), tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C), hydrogenated amorphous carbon and tetrahedral amorphous carbon (a-C:H and ta-C:H). The a-C film with disordered graphitic ordering, such as soot, chars, glassy carbon, and evaporated a-C, is shown in the lower left hand corner. If the fraction of sp3 bonding reaches a high degree, such an a-C is denoted as tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C), in order to distinguish it from sp2 a-C [2]. Two hydrocarbon polymers, that is, polyethylene (CH2)n and polyacetylene (CH)n, define the limits of the triangle in the right hand corner beyond which interconnecting C-C networks do not form, and only strait-chain molecules are formed. The DLC films, i.e. a-C, ta-C, a-C:H and ta-C:H, have some extreme properties similar to diamond, such as hardness, elastic modulus and chemical inertness. These films are great advantages for many applications. One of the most important applications of the carbon-based films is the coating for magnetic hard disk recording. The second successful application is wear protective and antireflective films for IR windows. The third application is wear protection of bearings and sliding friction parts. The fourth is precision gages for the automotive industry. Recently, exciting ongoing study [1] tries to deposit a carbon-based protective film on engine parts (e.g. engine cylinders and pistons) taking into account not only low friction and wear, but also self lubricating properties. Reduction of the oil consumption is expected. Currently, for an additional application field, the carbon-based films are extensively studied as excellent candidates for biocompatible films on biomedical implants. The carbon-based films consist of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen, which are biologically harmless as well as the main elements of human body. Some in vitro and limited in vivo studies on the biological effects of carbon-based films have been studied [$2{\sim}5$].The carbon-based films have great potentials in many fields. However, a few technological issues for carbon-based film are still needed to be studied to improve the applicability. Aisenberg and Chabot [3] firstly prepared an amorphous carbon film on substrates remained at room temperature using a beam of carbon ions produced using argon plasma. Spencer et al. [4] had subsequently developed this field. Many deposition techniques for DLC films have been developed to increase the fraction of sp3 bonding in the films. The a-C films have been prepared by a variety of deposition methods such as ion plating, DC or RF sputtering, RF or DC plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition (ECR-CVD), ion implantation, ablation, pulsed laser deposition and cathodic arc deposition, from a variety of carbon target or gaseous sources materials [5]. Sputtering is the most common deposition method for a-C film. Deposited films by these plasma methods, such as plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) [6], are ranged into the interior of the triangle. Application fields of DLC films investigated from papers. Many papers purposed to apply for tribology due to the carbon-based films of low friction and wear resistance. Figure 1 shows the percentage of DLC research interest for application field. The biggest portion is tribology field. It is occupied 57%. Second, biomedical field hold 14%. Nowadays, biomedical field is took notice in many countries and significantly increased the research papers. DLC films actually applied to many industries in 2005 as shown figure 2. The most applied fields are mold and machinery industries. It took over 50%. The automobile industry is more and more increase application parts. In the near future, automobile industry is expected a big market for DLC coating. Figure 1 Research interests of carbon-based filmsFigure 2 Demand ratio of DLC coating for industry in 2005. In this presentation, I will introduce a trend of carbon-based coating research and applications.