THERMAL REGRESSION OF LATENT TRACKS IN THE POLYMER IRRADIATED BY HIGH ENERGY HEAVY IONS

• Influence of heat treatment (85-180 oC) on latent tracks (LTs) in poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films irradiated by Xe ions with energy of 1 MeV/nucleon was studied. Kinetics of the alkaline etching (layer-by-layer technique) was investigated. Thermal annealing rises the time of through-pore formation. The etching of through pores, investigated by Hagen-Poiseuille and atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods, was found to be non-linear: steps were discovered at the etching diagram. They were associated with earlier detected zones of high chemical stability around the track (with the diameters of approximately 10 and 20 nm). Using AFM method an appearance of surface craters after the irradiation was found. After the annealing the shape of these defects changed to the hillock form. From analysis of the Raman and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra it is supposed that polymer structure in LT area was changed towards carbonaceous phase with graphite-like inclusions, which is evolving under the annealing and effecting the sequential etching process.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Den kondenserade materiens fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Condensed Matter Physics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

polymer

ion implantation

radiation damage

atomic force microscopy

raman

EPR

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)