EFFECTS OF ION IRRADIATIONS ON PROPERTIES OF POLYPHOSPHAZENE-SILICA COMPOSITE FILMS

This paper reports the first measurements of the composition, hardness and optical properties of polyphosphazene-silica hybrid materials sub mitted to heavy ion irradiations. Their hardness, established by means of nanoindentation tests, increases progressively as an amorphous thr ee-dimensional network is built and it saturates at a value slightly l ower than for pure polymers. Their spectra of optical absorption in th e visible range have been determined by means of spectroscopic ellipso metry. Being typical of insulators in the as-grown state, they become progressively amorphous semiconductors under the effect of ion irradia tion, but never metallic-like as would be the case if the polymeric pa rt was transformed into amorphous carbon. The silica component segrega tes at high irradiation fluences.