Visualization method, photopolymer

This review will highlight the interrelationships between basic photopolymer science and practical applications of this technology. Each application of photopolymer technology can be described in terms of three primary descriptors the mode of exposure, the mechanism of the photopolymer reaction employed and the visualization method used. Using this foundation, the widely diverse applications of photopolymer technology to electronic materials, printing materials, optical and electro-optical materials, the fabrication of devices and polymeric materials, adhesives and coating materials will be discussed. 

In the previous section, five basic mechanisms of photopolymer reactions were identified. In order to utilize these photopolymer mechanisms in practical systems, sensitive visualization methods must be used to develop the latent images. Six different classes of visualization techniques are used in most commercial applications of photopolymer technology. 

Electrical Conductivity. Changes in the electrical conductivity within or on the surface of a photopolymer film can be used to visualize the results of a photochemical reaction. A limited number of electrophotographic/electrostatic processes have been developed employing this readout method (22). 

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