Modification of electrical properties of polymer membranes by ion implantation

This payer presents an experimental study of the electrical properties of polymer ion irradiated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) membranes. The polymer samples have been implanted with a variety of ions (O(5+), N(4+), Kr(9+)) by the energy of 10 keV/q up to doses of 10(15) ions/cm(2) and then they were polarized in an electric field of 4.16 x 10(6) V/m at non-isothermal conditions. The electrical properties and the changes in the chemical structure of implanted membrane were measured by conductivity and discharge currents and FTIR spectra. Electrical conductivity of the membranes PET increases to 1-3 orders of magnitude after implantation and is determined by the charge transport caused by free space charge and by thermal detrapping of charge carriers. The spectra of thermally induced discharge current (TDC) shows that ion irradiated PET membranes are characterized by high ability to accumulate charge. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.