Incubation behaviour in triazenepolymer thin films upon near-infrared femtosecond laser pulse irradiation

The effects of laser radiation induced by a sequence of ultrashort (130 fs), near-infrared (800 nm) Ti:sapphire laser pulses in similar to 1 mu m thick triazenepolymer films on glass substrates have been investigated by means of in-situ real-time reflectivity measurements featuring a ps-resolution streak camera and a ns-resolution photodiode set-up. The polymer films show incubation effects when each laser pulse in the sequence has a fluence below the single-pulse damage threshold. Non-damage conditions are maintained for several incubation pulses such that the reflectivity of the film shows a rapid decrease of up to 30% within 1 ns but subsequently recovers to its initial value on a ins timescale. Additional pulses lead to a permanent film damage. The critical number of laser pulses needed to generate a permanent damage of the film has been studied as a function of the laser fluence. Once damage is created, further laser pulses cause a partial removal of the film material from the glass substrate. Scanning force microscopy has been used to characterise ex-situ the irradiated surface areas. Based on these complementary measurements possible incubation mechanisms are discussed.