Ion bombardment induced changes in the optical and electrical properties of polycarbonate

The changes in the optical and electrical properties of polycarbonate (PC) films, bombarded with He and Ar ion beams, have been studied. The PC films were divided into two groups where the first group was bombarded with 130 keV He ions of fluences ranged from 1 × 1014 cm−2 to 2 × 1016 cm−2, while the second one was bombarded with 320 keV Ar of fluences (1 × 1013 cm−2 and 1 × 1015 cm−2). The surface morphology of the unirradiated and irradiated PC films was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique. The optical properties of the two groups have been carried out using UV–Vis spectrophotometer and the direct current (DC) electrical conductivity was also performed. The obtained results showed a decrease in the optical energy gap, the optical activation energy and the electrical activation energy with increasing the fluence of both He and Ar ions. Meanwhile, an increase in the DC conductivity was obtained with increasing the fluence of the ions. The bombardment of the PC films with He and Ar ion beams induced formation of carbon clusters near the polymer surface and, also, resulted in scission in the polymer chains.