Ion Implantation of Polymers

Abstract

Ion implantation provides a mechanism for radically modifying the electronic and transport properties of a variety of polymers that are normally insulating.By using masks and tailoring the implanted species and ion energies, conducting paths in an insulating medium can be fabricated between specific reference points, an application of obvious relevance to the microelectronics industry.Specific results are reported for modification of the structure, electrical conductivity, thermoelectric-power, optical transmission and electron spin resonance for several polymers under a variety of implantation conditions.The temperature and frequency dependence of the conductivity suggest a onedimensional variable range hopping mechanism for conduction along the polymer chains. Comparison is made between implantation in the 200 keV and 2 MeV energy ranges.

Strain gauge properties of Pd+-ion-implanted polymer

“…Many insulating polymers were observed that a chemical modification seems more important in the fluence range between 10 12 cm À2 and 10 14 cm À2 and depends on the ion species implanted, while a fluence above 10 15 cm À2 generates structural defects and leads to the formation of carbonaceous materials. 2,3,7 Furthermore, implantation of ion metals in insulating polymers is an effective method to produce metallic or metal-oxide nanoparticles in polymers and to modify the polymer structure giving rise to the formation of novel polymer nanocomposites. At high fluences, the nucleation of nanoparticles may occur due to the high metal cohesive energy and the low metal-polymer interaction energy.…”

“…Both the formation of amorphous carbon and carbonaceous materials and the metal nanoparticle formation modify the electronic transport properties significantly, and an increase of the conductivity can be observed. 3,4,7,[9][10][11][12] The realization of metalcarbon-polymer nanocomposite structures by metal-ion irradiation opens the door for potential applications in various technological fields such as electronics, magnetics, optoelectronics, optics, and mechanics but also applications in biological and medical fields may become feasible. 1,[7][8][9][13][14][15][16][17] In addition, it should be noted that metalcarbon-polymer nanocomposite films may exhibit interesting pressure-sensitive, catalytic, and gas sensing properties and are promising candidates for the realization of efficient flex, catalytic, and gas sensor devices.…”

“…The ion implantation in polymers, the molecular modification, and rearrangement of the atomic species in the ion-bombarded polymer region are complex processes that depend, besides the ion energy and fluence, on the ion species and the polymer parameters, its molecular structure, and elemental composition. 3 –5 The energy transfer of energetic ions to the target polymer causes structural damage and chemical modification that implies the formation of hydrogen and free radicals (carbon) and, depending on the polymer type, also oxygen. The created species may be involved in other reactions that generally include cross-linking and scission of polymer chains and gas evolution.…”

“…The created species may be involved in other reactions that generally include cross-linking and scission of polymer chains and gas evolution. 3,4,6 The implantation-induced damage and chemical modification depend on the ion energy and mass, while the extent of the damage depends on the fluence. Many insulating polymers were observed that a chemical modification seems more important in the fluence range between 10 12 cm −2 and 10 14 cm −2 and depends on the ion species implanted, while a fluence above 10 15 cm −2 generates structural defects and leads to the formation of carbonaceous materials.…”

Ion Beam Induced Graphitization of Phenolformaldehyde

“…Ion bombardment and implantation have been widely used to alter the electrical properties of polymers and the results have been reviewed elsewhere [1][2][3]. Ion implantation produces accurate location of dopant depth and doping with ions that cannot be achieved chemically.…”