Granular metal-polymer composites formed by ion implantation technology

Thin metal-polymer composite films were synthesized by high-dose implantation of 40 keV Fe+ and Co+ ions into epoxy and silicone polymers. The influence of both an initial relaxation state (viscosity) of polymer target and a dose of implantation on microstructures and magnetic properties of ion synthesized composite materials was investigated. The process of nucleation and growth of metal nanophase in polymer volume with dose increasing were observed by transmission electron microscopy. It was shown that various metal nano structures (isolated particles with different morphology and sizes, multi-particles clusters, fractal-type agglomerates) and quasi-continuous monocrystalline films are formed at different initial viscosity of the targets, kinds of implanted ions and doses of implantation. Magnetic properties of metal-polymer composite films were studied by ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) method. The observed FMR spectra and their orientation dependencies reflect the essential differences in the magnetic properties of the composite films formed in the epoxy and silicone substrates at different viscosity and doses. The dose dependencies of effective magnetization are presented for iron-implanted silicone films synthesized at different relaxation state of polymer substrate. The dependence of FMR spectra on a type of implanted atoms (iron or cobalt) is also discussed