Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
VUV light-induced decomposition of palladium acetate films was performed by using a new incoherent excimer source. With pure xenon this excimer source emits radiation peaking at a wavelength of 172 nm. We investigated mainly the palladium deposition from spin-on palladium acetate films on aluminum oxide substrates. By using EMP we determined the palladium thickness as a function of UV intensity and exposure time. A remarkable temperature effect of the photolytic deposition process was observed also in a temperature range in which no thermal decomposition is possible. The exposure of spin-on palladium acetate films on ceramic substrates was also accomplished through metal contact masks. Patterned palladium films were reinforced by electroless copper and nickel plating processes [1]. The obtained structures had the same high edge quality as those produced by using excimer lasers [2].