Metal precipitation process in polymers induced by ion implantation of 60 keV Cu-

Metal nanoparticleformation and radiation resistance of polymers with heavy ion implantation have been studied to develop modification process of the optical properties of polymers. Negative Cu ions of 60 keV were implanted into high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polystyrene (PS) and polycarbonate (PC) at 1 muA/cm(2) up to a total dose of 1.5 x 10(17) ions/cm(2). Optical absorption spectra at high total doses show surface plasmon resonance, indicating formation of Cu nanoparticles for all the polymers. The onset dose at which the plasmon peak appears depends on the polymer species. The metal nanoparticle formation in polymers is confirmed by cross-sectional TEM. Depth profiles of Cu atoms evaluated by RBS do not indicate distinct ion-induced diffusion. The FTIR-ATR spectra show fairly good resistance against radiation damage in the order of PC, PS and HDPE. These results indicate that low energy Cu irradiation at appropriate doses does not cause serious damage on the polymer matrices, and that Cu atoms implanted into the polymers cause nanoparticle precipitation to be promising for optical application. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.