Electrical and optical properties of ion-irradiated organic polymer Kapton H

Abstract

An organic polymer Kapton H film was irradiated with high-energy (∼MeV) N+2 ions. The specific resistivity of the film irradiated to a dose ∼1017 N/cm2 was estimated to be ∼10−2 Ω cm, which is about 20 orders of magnitude smaller than that of the unirradiated film. With increase of dose, the irradiated region of the film became grayish silver with a remarkable metallic luster. It is suggested that the alterations of the electrical and optical properties of the film result from the decomposition and the subsequent carbonization of the polymer induced by ion irradiation. The properties of the irradiated film are compared with those of the pyrolyzed one.