The characterization of PEEK, PET and PI implanted with Co ions to high fluences

Polyimide (PI), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foils have been implanted with 40 keV Co+ ions at room temperature to the fluences ranging from 0.2 × 1016 cm−2 to 1.0 × 1017 cm−2. Co depth profiles determined by RBS have been compared to SRIM 2008 calculations. The measured projected ranges RP differ slightly from the SRIM simulation because of the compositional changes in polymers implanted to high fluences; especially the widths of the Co profiles are much larger than those simulated by SRIM. Oxygen and hydrogen depletion has been examined using the RBS and ERDA techniques. The surface morphology of the implanted polymers has been characterized using AFM. The PET polymer exhibits lower oxygen escape than the PI and PEEK, but the surface roughness at PET has been affected most significantly after the implantation. Implanted Co atoms tend to aggregate into nanoparticles, the size and distribution of which has been determined from TEM micrographs and using image analysis. The largest diameter of Co particles has been found in implanted PET.