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Absorbing TiOx thin film enabling laser welding of polyurethane membranes and polyamide fibers |
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| Authors: | Martin Amberg Alexander Haag Raphael Storchenegger Patrick Rupper Frederike Lehmeier René M Rossi Dirk Hegemann |
| Affiliation: | 1.Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Advanced Fibers, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St.Gallen, Switzerland;2.Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Protection and Physiology, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St.Gallen, Switzerland;3.Leister Technologies AG, R&D Corporate Research, Galileo-Strasse 10, 6056 Kaegiswil, Switzerland |
| Abstract: | We report on the optical properties of thin titanium suboxide (TiOx) films for applications in laser transmission welding of polymers. Non-absorbing fibers were coated with TiOx coatings by reactive magnetron sputtering. Plasma process parameters influencing the chemical composition and morphology of the deposited thin films were investigated in order to optimize their absorption properties. Optical absorption spectroscopy showed that the oxygen content of the TiOx coatings is the main parameter influencing the optical absorbance. Overtreatment (high power plasma input) of the fiber surface leads to high surface roughness and loss of mechanical stability of the fiber. The study shows that thin substoichiometric TiOx films enable the welding of very thin polyurethane membranes and polyamide fibers with improved adhesion properties. |
| Keywords: | titanium suboxides fiber coatings reactive magnetron sputtering laser welding NIR absorption |