Laser patterning of thin-film electrochemical gas sensors

We have patterned a CO2 thin film electrochemical sensor using Xe laser ablation of Pt, Nasicon and Na2CO3 thin films. A thin metallic absorbing layer on Nasicon is used to achieve reproducible ablation of the ionic conductor with no piercing of the buried Pt electrode. Processing conditions are 10 J/cm2 pulses with a scanning velocity of 500 μm/s for Pt and 6.3 J/cm2 pulses with a scanning velocity of 100 μm/s for Nasicon. Nasicon is ablated in the form of flakes suggesting an ablation in the solid phase. Fabrication of an integrated heating element and a micro-thermometer by laser ablation is also presented.