Author: VITALIJ FIODOROV
Dissertation title: Laser-assisted selective fabrication of metal traces on polymers by electroplating
Fields of science: Material engineering T008
Scientific supervisor: dr. Gediminas Račiukaitis
Defence of the dissertation: 16 April 2025
SUMMARY: The aim of this work is to develop a new laser-assisted method for selective polymer metal deposition by electroplating. The method consists of two steps: first, a laser beam is used to write an electrical circuit pattern on the surface of the object. In this way, a conductive graphene layer is formed on the laser-affected areas of the surface. Next, the object is immersed in a solution containing the metal to be deposited, and the metal is electroplated onto the laser-formed graphene layer. The surface resistance of the polymer is 109 Ω/sq. After forming a conductive graphene layer on the polymer surface, the surface resistance could be reduced to 10 Ω/sq., and when the graphene layer is coated with copper, the surface resistance could be reduced to 10-4 Ω/sq. A component with such a low surface resistance could already be applied in electronic devices. The main advantage of the method we are developing is the ability to form an electrical circuit pattern on the complex shape surfaces of three-dimensional objects. Classic printed circuit boards (PCBs), when manufactured using traditional methods, are flat, and two-dimensional, which makes it difficult to integrate them into devices where space is limited. During the study, three different lasers, generating wavelengths ranging from ultraviolet to mid-infrared radiation, were used to form the electrical circuit pattern on the polymer surface.