SAXS investigation of un-etched and etched ion tracks in polycarbonate

Investigation of the ion track morphologies and track etching behaviour in polycarbonate (PC) films was carried out using synchrotron based small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements. The tracks were induced by Au ions with kinetic energies of 1.7 and 2.2GeV with applied fluences between 1×1010 and 1×1012ions/cm2. The average radii of the un-etched tracks were studied as a function of the irradiation fluence, indicating a general ion induced degradation of the polymer, with a simultaneous increase in ion track radius from 2.6±0.002nm to 3.4±0.03nm. Chemical etching of the ion tracks in PC leads to the formation of cylindrical pores. The pore radius increases linearly with etching time. In 3M NaOH at 55°C, a radial etching rate of 9.2nm/min is observed.