Known and developed over the past twenty five years, lasers have been experimented in a variety of processes with an uneven success. Apart from fundamental physics experiments in which the various aspects of coherence are systematically exploited, applications in the field of Materials Science have been scattered recently over so many situations that it is apparently difficult today to conceive a comprehensive interpretation of all physical processes encountered. In some domains of research like photochemistry, development has been fast and rather self-supporting. In others, like solid-state processing, progress has been either very specific or deviated towards marginal applications, or else emerged as a joint-venture between physicists and chemists. This yielded a number of professional meetings, where day-to-day research activities are presented. In 1982, the Cargese ASI on "Cohesive properties of semiconductors under laser irradiation" was one of such meetings at which a prospective of the field was discussed at length in ebullient round-table sessions. Quoted from the proceedings, "the Institute helped to discern clearly the limits of existing theoretical approaches and the directions along which work is urgently needed within the next few years". Four years have passed and the field has literally explo ded. It must be mentioned that some of the most striking developments over the past two years were accurately predicted at the Institute in Cargese.

The impact of Materials Science in our environment has probably never been as massive and decisive as it is today. In every aspect of our lives, progress has never been so dependent on the techniques involved in producing ever more sophisticated materials in ever larger quantities, nor so demanding for technologists to imagine novel processes and circumvent difficulties, or take up new challenges. Every technique is based on a physical process which is put into practice and optimized. The better we know that process, the better the optimization, and more powerful the technique. Laser processing of materials is inscribed in that context. As soon as powerful coherent light sources were made available, it was realized that such intense sources of energy could be used to "heat, melt and crystallize" materials, i.e., to promote phase transitions in atomic systems. As early as 1964, attempts in that direction were made but received very little (if any) attention. Reasons for this lack of interest were several. For one thing, laser technology was not fully developed, so that the process offered poor reliability and no versatility. Also, improving the existing techniques was believed to be sufficient to meet the needs of the time, and there was no real motivation to explore new ways. Finally, and more important, the fundamentals of the physics behind the scenes were, and continue to be, way out of the runni~g stream.

Materials processing with lasers is a rapidly expanding field which is increasingly captivating the attention of scientists, engineers and manufacturers alike. The aspect of most interest to scientists is provided by the basic interaction mechanisms between the intense light of a laser and materials exposed to a chemically reactive or nonreactive surrounding medium. Engineers and manufacturers see in the laser a new tool which will not only make manufacturing cheaper, faster, cleaner and more accurate but which also opens up entirely new technologies and manufacturing methods that are simply not available using existing techniques. Actual and potential applications range from laser machining to laser-induced materials transformation, coating, patterning, etc. , opening up the prospect of exciting new processing methods for micromechanics, metallurgy, integrated optics, semiconductor manufacture and chemical engineering. This book concentrates on the new and interdisciplinary field of 1 aser-i nduced chemicaZ process i ng of materi als. The techni que permits maskless single-step deposition of thin films of metals, semiconductors or insulators with lateral dimensions ranging from a few tenths of a micrometer up to several centimeters. Moreover, materials removal or synthesis, or surface modifications, such as oxidation, nitridation, reduction, metallization and doping, are also possible within similar dimensions. This book is meant as an introduction. It attempts to cater for the very broad range of specific interests which different groups of readers will have, and this thinking underlies the way in which the material has been arranged.

The results of an International Conference on [title] held in Brussels, Belgium, Aug./Sept. 1987, these papers deal with self-organization and nonlinear dynamics in chemistry, giving the results of recent experiments and bringing new emphasis on spatial inhomogeneities and dynamical phenomena in con"

Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on `Excimer Lasers: the Tools, Fundamental Processes and Applications', Elounda, Crete, Greece, September 6--17, 1993

Fluoroplastics, Volume 2: Melt Processible Fluoropolymers - The Definitive User's Guide and Data Book compiles the working knowledge of the polymer chemistry and physics of melt processible fluoropolymers with detailed descriptions of commercial processing methods, material properties, fabrication and handling information, technologies, and applications, also including history, market statistics, and safety and recycling aspects. Both volumes of Fluoroplastics contain a large amount of specific property data useful for users to readily compare different materials and align material structure with end use applications. Volume Two concentrates on melt-processible fluoropolymers used across a broad range of industries, including automotive, aerospace, electronic, food, beverage, oil/gas, and medical devices. This new edition is a thoroughly updated and significantly expanded revision covering new technologies and applications, and addressing the changes that have taken place in the fluoropolymer markets. - Exceptionally broad and comprehensive coverage of melt processible fluoropolymers processing and applications - Provides a practical approach, written by long-standing authorities in the fluoropolymers industry - Thoroughly updated and significantly expanded revision covering new technologies and applications, and addressing the changes that have taken place in the fluoropolymer markets

As the deep-ultraviolet (DUV) laser technology continues to mature, an increasing number of industrial and manufacturing applications are emerging. For example, the new generation of semiconductor inspection systems is being pushed to image at increasingly shorter DUV wavelengths to facilitate inspection of deep sub-micron features in integrated circuits. DUV-sensitive charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras are in demand for these applications. Although CCD cameras that are responsive at DUV wavelengths are now available, their long-term stability is still a major concern. This book describes the degradation mechanisms and long-term performance of CCDs in the DUV, along with new results of device performance at these wavelengths.