Mass spectrometric investigation of products emitted from polytetrafluoroethylene irradiated with copper bromide vapor laser

Copper bromide vapor laser irradiation of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in vacuum was studied. The analyses of gaseous phase products were carried out by a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The main products of the decomposition process were C2F4 and C3F6 together with radicals and atoms. The obtained mass spectra were compared with reference data for excimer- and Nd:YAG-laser-induced decomposition of PTFE. In the case of copper bromide vapor laser-induced decomposition the process is mainly due to pyrolytic effects which resulted in formation of mainly low mass species. A mechanism of the laser destruction was proposed on the basis of the obtained mass spectrometric data. The formation of C2F4, C3F6 and CF as a function of time and laser scanning speed was studied.