Ion irradiation as a tool for modifying the surface and optical properties of plasma polymerised thin films

Daniel S. Grant, Kateryna Bazaka, Rainer Siegele, Stephen A. Holt, Mohan V. Jacob*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Radio frequency (R.F.) glow discharge polyterpenol thin films were prepared on silicon wafers and irradiated with I10+ ions to fluences of 1 × 1010 and 1 × 1012 ions/cm2. Post-irradiation characterisation of these films indicated the development of well-defined nano-scale ion entry tracks, highlighting prospective applications for ion irradiated polyterpenol thin films in a variety of membrane and nanotube-fabrication functions. Optical characterisation showed the films to be optically transparent within the visible spectrum and revealed an ability to selectively control the thin film refractive index as a function of fluence. This indicates that ion irradiation processing may be employed to produce plasma-polymer waveguides to accommodate a variety of wavelengths. XRR probing of the substrate-thin film interface revealed interfacial roughness values comparable to those obtained for the uncoated substrate's surface (i.e., both on the order of 5 Å), indicating minimal substrate etching during the plasma deposition process.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)54-59
Number of pages6
JournalNuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
Volume360
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18 Aug 2015
Externally publishedYes

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