Helium Ion Irradiation of Polymer Films Deposited from TMS‐Ar Plasmas

Abstract

Polymer films synthesized from plasmas of a tetramethylsilane ‐ Ar mixture were modified by irradiation with 170 keV He ions at fluences ranging from 1 × 1014 to 1 × 1016 cm−2. As revealed by infrared spectroscopy, the ion beam produced intense bond rearrangements, such as the depletion of bonding groups (CH and SiH), and induced the formation of new ones, such as OH and SiO. From the nanoindentation measurements, a remarkable increase in the surface hardness of the films was observed as the ion fluence was increased. The increases in hardness were accompanied by an increase in the film compaction as shown by using a combination of RBS and film thickness measurements. From both hardness and infrared measurements it was concluded that, under the He ion bombardment, the polymer structure is transformed into a silicon oxycarbide network.

Effect of hydrogen ion implantation on cholesterol sensing using enzyme-free LAPONITE®-montmorillonite electrodes

“…25-28 F. Z. Cui et al 25 studied the changes in protein secondary structure by low energy nitrogen ion beam irradiation due to the scission of H-bonds and charge exchange. Polymer lms synthesized from plasmas of a tetra methylsilane-Ar mixture using helium ion beam irradiation showed loss of hydrogen was reported by R. V. Gelamo et al 26 E. C. Rangel et al 27 investigate the effect of argon ion irradiation on polymer lm where signicant loss of hydrogen besides the formation of unsaturated bonds, and cross-links with decrease in electrical resistivity was found. Also the loss of hydrocarbon and the associated release of hydrogen is one of the consequences of the ion irradiation of polymer and polymer-like structures studied by D. L. Baptista et al 28 Here, such a mechanism is hypothesized for the L-MMT colloidal thin lm that the enhancement in sensitivity of the irradiated electrode could be due to the breakage of hydrogen bond induced by the as deposited L-MMT/ITO electrode.…”

Elastic Modulus and Hardness of Plasma‐Polymerized Organosilicones Evaluated by Nanoindentation Techniques

“…The mechanical properties of pp‐TVS films (10 W) with an elastic modulus and hardness of 11.7 and 0.82 GPa, respectively, may be increased by post‐deposition UV irradiation up to 14.1 and 1.02 GPa, respectively, after UV exposition for 1000 min . However, the plasma polymer films deposited at 35 W by PECVD from a mixture of tetramethylsilane and argon gas with a hardness of 1.2 GPa were hardened up to 12.7 GPa using helium ion irradiation (He + , 2.2 MeV) depending on ion fluence (1 × 10 14 −1 × 10 16 cm −2 ) …”

Hydrophilicity Improvement of Polymer Surfaces Induced by Simultaneous Nuclear Transmutation and Oxidation Effects Using High-Energy and Low-Fluence Helium Ion Beam Irradiation

“…They observed the depletion of C-H and Si -H and formation of O-H and Si-O with increasing hardness. They concluded that the polymer structure transformed into a silicon oxycarbide network by irradiation [18]. Park et al conducted a dual-ion beam irradiation (including He ions, energy: 70 keV, fluence: 3 × 10 16 to 1 × 10 17 ions/cm 2 ) of a polymer blend to modify the optical properties of the coatings and improve the adhesion between the polymer surface and coating.…”