Abstract
The surface topography, structure and surface mechanical properties of pristine and energetic ion irradiated PVDF films
have been investigated using Atomic force microscopy (AFM) in trapping mode. The Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)
polymer films (9, 12 and 20 μm) were irradiated with 100 MeV Ag-ion (fluence; 1.8X1011 ions/cm2), and 75 MeV Oxygen- ion
(fluences; 5.6X1011 ions/cm2, 1X1012 ions/cm2 and 5.6X1012 ions/cm2) beams with different beam currents ranging from 0.2-
0.5PnA(particle nanoampere) using the PELLETRON facility at Inter University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi to study ion
irradiation effects on the surface of thin films.
The AFM micrographs show the presence of small granular microstructure in pristine as well as irradiated PVDF samples.
The AFM morphological characterizations of irradiated films reveal the formation of nano sized crater and hillocks on the
sample surface. The AFM is also used to estimate average surface roughness, hardness, grain size, grain density and
other structural parameters. The average surface roughness and grain size decreases after ion irradiation and the decrease
dependents on the ion species, ion energy, ions beam current and fluences. However the grain size is more in lower
energy ion (Oxygen-ion) irradiated samples than higher energy ion (Ag-ion) irradiated samples. Hall-Petch effect has been
observed in PVDF thin films after ion beam irradiation i.e., increase in hardness of PVDF films upon ion beam irradiation.
Keywords
PVDF film, Ag-ion irradiation, SHI, AFM, TMAFM, TEM.
Citation
D. S. RANA, D. K. CHATURVEDI, J. K. QUAMARA, Nano/micro surface structural study of swift heavy ions irradiated PVDF Films by AFM, Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials - Rapid Communications, 3, 7, July 2009, pp.737-743 (2009).
Submitted at: July 16, 2009
Accepted at: July 20, 2009