In situ analysis of ion-induced polymer surface modification using secondary ion mass spectroscopy

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms Beam interactions with materials and atoms, 2016-06, Vol.377, p.83-88
• Main Authors: Okuji, Shigeto, Kitazawa, Hideaki, Takeda, Yoshihiko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chains (polymeric); Energy density; Exposure; Fluorine; Hydrogen; Ion irradiation; Polyethylene; Polytetrafluoroethylene; Polytetrafluoroethylenes; Polyvinylidene difluoride; Secondary ion mass spectroscopy; Surface modification; ToF-SIMS
• ISSN: 0168-583X; 1872-9584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nimb.2016.04.002

We have investigated the surface modification process consisting of ion irradiation immediately followed by exposure to ambient gas for three types of polymers having the same main chain, CC, but different atoms bound to the main chain, using in situ secondary ion mass spectroscopy. The polymers’ surface was irradiated with 30keV Au ions at a total fluence for up to 1×1017cm−2 and exposed to ambient gas in a ultra-high-vacuum chamber (1×10−6Pa) for 30min after the ion irradiation. Low density polyethylene mainly exhibited a hydrogen dissociation during the ion irradiation and a recombination with hydrogen atoms by the exposure, polytetrafluoroethylene mainly showed a main chain scission and no recombination during the exposure, and polyvinylidene difluoride lost hydrogen and fluorine atoms by the ion irradiation and partially recombined with hydrogen and fluorine atoms upon the exposure. The deposited energy density on the polymer surfaces reflects the dependence of the modification on the incident ion species, Au or Ga ions.